News

Lankan fishermen to return tomorrow

26 Feb, 2013

Twenty-one Sri Lankan fishermen have been released from India and are due to arrive in Colombo tomorrow, the Xinhua Chinese news agency?quoted?a Fisheries Ministry spokesman as saying today.
Along with the fishermen, four fishing boats that were taken into custody by the Indian Coast Guard have also been released, ministry spokesman Narendra Rajapaksa said.
The Indian Coast Guard has taken measures to hand over the fishermen and their vessels to the Sri Lanka Navy at the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Kankasanthurai, said Rajapaksa.
The Indian Coast Guard unit on patrol off Krishnapet near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, north of Chennai, arrested the fishermen on Jan. 18, according to local media reports.
They were detained along with their four boats and equipment and brought to Chennai where they were remanded for 15 days by a court order.
Tension prevails between the fishermen of the two countries who regularly cross into each other’s territorial waters.
Local fishermen have alleged that Indian fishermen have clashed with them off the coast of Sri Lanka while Indian fishermen have charged that the Sri Lankan navy has attacked them. These allegations were vehemently denied from both sides.

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Northern fishermen want long term solution for fishing issue

Although New Delhi and Colombo have expressed satisfaction over recent bilateral talks on the Palk Bay fishing conflict, northern Sri Lankan fishermen say a much-needed long-term solution remains elusive, The Hindu newspaper reported. Following resistance from the fisherfolk and some efforts taken by the two governments, the number of Indian trawlers coming into Sri Lankan waters has reduced, observe fishermen. However, fully resolving the crisis requires greater political will from the two gov

20 Apr, 2017

Feature Image

President says he is ready to abolish executive powers

President Maithripala Sirisena says he is ready to abolish his executive powers, in line with the commitment he gave at the last Presidential elections. The President told media heads today that there is no change in the promise he gave ahead of the 2015 Presidential elections. He also said that the economy is on a firm track with more than USD 5 billion reserves. The President also said that the resettlement in the North will be completed soon. He says 60 percent of the?resettlement has bee

20 Apr, 2017

Feature Image

Seven Sri Lankan fishermen released by Tamil Nadu court

A court in India on Wednesday ordered the release of seven Sri Lankan fishermen, arrested on April 6 last for allegedly straying into Indian territorial waters, the Press Trust of India reported. Chief Judicial Magistrate-in-Charge Inba Karthick passed the order following a communique from the Tamil Nadu government, Q branch police said. The fishermen, from Buddhalaam district in Sri Lanka had strayed into Indian waters near Tuticorin coast. They were arrested and later lodged in the Puzhal C

19 Apr, 2017