A group of 41 Indian fishermen, who were recently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, arrived at Chennai Airport on Tuesday.
As confirmed by authorities, they will now be sent to their respective districts.
It has been learnt that out of the 41 fishermen, 35 were from Ramanathapuram district and had been detained near Katchatheevu on September 8, 2024.
According to the Sri Lankan Navy these fishermen were engaged in cross-border fishing activities— a recurring issue in the region.
The release marks another step in addressing the frequent detentions of Indian fishermen.
On January 16, 15 Indian fishermen, also detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, were released and returned to Chennai.
These arrests occurred in separate incidents in 2024, with eight fishermen being detained near Mannar Island on September 27 and another 12 from Nagapattinam district arrested on November 11.
In a related event on January 5, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) facilitated the repatriation of 95 Indian fishermen and four fishing boats from Bangladesh.
Also read: Bangla govt denies Mamata’s claims on fishermen abuse
This exchange, conducted with the Bangladesh Coast Guard, also saw the return of 90 Bangladeshi fishermen, including 12 rescued from a sunken fishing boat. The repatriation occurred at South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, with the Indian fishermen handed over to state fisheries officials.
Recent months have seen numerous incidents of fishermen from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh being detained for crossing international maritime boundaries inadvertently.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, earlier in December, urged Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic efforts to secure the release of apprehended fishermen and their fishing boats from the Sri Lankan Navy’s custody.
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