Chennai: Expressing deep concern over the alarming increase in the apprehension of Tamil fishermen and their boats by Sri Lankan authorities, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that all out efforts were made to secure the release of 77 fishermen and their 151 boats from the custody of Sri Lanka. In a letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, Stalin said that in the past 28 days alone, 88 fishermen and 12 boats had been apprehended in six incidents and requested him to make necessary diplomatic efforts to solve the persisting problem as it severely impacted the right to livelihood of the fishing communities that had utilised the waters for generations. Except for the years affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, there had been a significant rise in the number of arrests in the past few years and it was increasingly restricting the fishermen from operating in the sea, making it difficult to sustain their livelihood and impacting the economic stability of the communities, besides threatening the cultural and social fabric of the region that revolved around the fishing industry. During 2023, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 243 fishermen and seized 37 boats while there had been an increase in the attacks on Tamil fishermen by unidentified persons, who also damaged the boats and equipment in the seas, adding a new layer of concern to an already precarious situation, he said. ‘I had previously addressed you regarding the amendment made to the Fisheries Act by the Government of Sri Lanka in 2018, which enables the Sri Lankan Government to nationalise foreign fishing vessels. Due to this action of Sri Lanka, the seized fishing boats of our fishermen that are in good condition cannot be salvaged and brought back to Tamil Nadu,’ Stalin said. Since many fishermen had invested their life savings in acquiring and maintaining their boats, which were vital for their trade, the nationalisation of these boats without proper compensation or alternative arrangements pushed the fishermen and their families into financial distress, he said. Urging the Prime Minister to take swift and decisive action to revive the Joint Working Group set up to address the problem, he called for a diplomatic resolution to ensure the safety and well-being of Tamil fishermen. Stalin also asked Modi to initiate diplomatic efforts to secure the release of fishermen (who were on board boats registered in Gujarat) incarcerated by the Pakistani authorities on January 3 and the four fishermen detained by Kuwait Coastal Police on December 5 last year.
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