CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar to secure their release of 47 fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.
In a letter to Jaishankar, the Chief Minister also requested him to revive the Joint Working Group in this regard.
In his letter to S. Jaishankar, the Chief Minister expressed “a deep sense of anguish” over the continuing and unabated apprehension of Indian fishermen by the Island nation.
“This incident has caused significant distress within the fishing community, spreading fear and uncertainty across the coastal districts. It is pertinent to highlight that this is the first instance in 2025 where such a large number of fishermen have been apprehended on a single day,” Stalin wrote.
The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 30 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seized four trawlers on Wednesday night for allegedly poaching in international waters.
According to information available with officials of the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department, 339 boats were issued tokens on Wednesday morning from the Rameswaram jetty. Fishermen from Thangachimadam, Rameswaram, and other areas had ventured into the sea.
Sri Lankan Navy personnel who were on surveillance duty along the Palk Bay detained the fishermen and impounded their boats as well as their catch. They were all taken to a Naval Port in the island nation and subsequently arrested, the officials said.
“The repeated apprehensions have caused significant economic and emotional distress and uncertainty for the affected families. Currently, 242 fishing boats and 74 fishermen from Tamil Nadu are in Sri Lankan custody,” Stalin said in his letter to the Union External Affairs Minister.
