14 Rameswaram fishermen travel to Jaffna to reclaim Indian fishing boats in Sri Lankan custody

Chennai, Aug 25 Fourteen fishermen from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu left for Sri Lanka on Monday to begin the process of reclaiming Indian fishing boats that had been in Sri Lankan custody for more than three years.

The vessels were among several seized by the Sri Lankan Navy in 2021-22 for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Following petitions filed by boat owners, Sri Lankan courts recently ordered the release of 12 boats docked at Myliddy harbour in Jaffna district. With official permission granted by Colombo, the fishermen have now sailed to inspect the condition of their vessels.

“The release of these boats is the result of a long legal battle fought by the owners. Their livelihoods were affected all these years, and now they finally have a chance to recover their means of work,” said the fishermen association leader Jesu Raja, who is also part of the team.

The fishermen will be escorted by the Sri Lankan Navy from the IMBL to Myliddy harbour, where they will verify the seaworthiness of the trawlers. Many of the boats are expected to need extensive repairs before they can return to active service, given their prolonged stay in harbour.

Among those who made the journey are trawler owners R. Hariharan, V. Vinaltan, J. Michael Raj, D. Charles, A. Irudaya Raj, N. Dakshinamoorthy, and L. Velmurugan, accompanied by crew members B. Jesu Raja, B. Vinnarasan, J. Alex Daniel, A. Thibision, C. Satheesh, S. Naganathan, and S. Ramanathan.

The fishing community in Rameswaram has welcomed the development as a small but significant step forward. However, fishermen leaders stressed that unless India and Sri Lanka reach a sustainable agreement on fishing rights, recurring arrests, confiscations, and courtroom battles will continue to threaten the fragile livelihood of Tamil Nadu’s coastal families.

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