Lankan Navy detains seven Tamil Nadu fishermen

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Sri Lankan navy detained seven Indian fishermen and their boat on charges of poaching in their territorial waters. The fishing boat sailed from Rameswaram along with 554 trawlers on Wednesday morning.
According to the Sri Lankan navy, they have undertaken a special operation with Sri Lankan Coast Guard to chase away Indian trawlers poaching in their territorial waters. During the exercise on Wednesday night, they deployed a craft to chase away a cluster of trawlers fishing south off Delft Island.
The Sri Lankan Coast Guard vessel apprehended a trawler and the crew that remained in Sri Lankan waters.
The trawler and the fishing gear were seized. The trawler was taken to Kankesanthurai harbour and handed over to Mailadi fisheries department, said the Sri Lankan navy.
The detained trawler belonged to S Michaelraj from Nalupanai Thangachimadam. The arrested fishermen are Beno Clinton, 34, Anthony Pedhuru, 24, A Viniston, 47, Moses Dhayan, 48, Thani Velraj, 25 and Anthony Honest, 23, all hailing from Thangachimadam.
MDMK leader Vaiko has condemned the arrest of Indian fishermen. He stated that the fishermen were fishing near Katchatheevu, the traditional fishing grounds of Tamil Nadu fishermen. It has become a routine for the Sri Lankan navy to attack and apprehend Tamil Nadu fishermen fishing in their traditional fishing grounds.
Vaiko said that the BJP government at the Centre pays no attention to these attacks which is the reason the attacks don't seem to stop.
He demanded the central government to intervene in this matter and take efforts to release the fishermen.