19 fishermen held by Sri Lankan Navy
The HinduA total of 19 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday. Around 11 a.m., when the Sri Lankan authorities stated that the 19 arrested fishermen included two from Odisha, Fisheries Department officials in Ramanathapuram conducted an inquiry. An officer in the rank of Assistant Director in the Fisheries Department said that a preliminary inquiry had revealed that the two boats impounded by the Sri Lankan authorities had 19 people. Fishermen leaders in the coastal district said that many fishermen were now refusing to venture into the sea, especially along the Palk Bay, due to the “high risk” of getting arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. This was perhaps the first time that two persons from Odisha had been arrested along with fishermen from Rameswaram in the Palk Bay, though there had been instances of detention during deep-sea fishing, officials said.