Sri Lankan boat with six fishermen on board arrested off Chennai
April 4, 2015 10:04 am
Indian Coast Guard on Friday seized a Sri Lankan fishing boat with six fishermen on board for allegedly fishing in Indian waters.
“The Indian Coast Guard ship Sagar in a swift anti- poaching operation apprehended one Sri Lankan fishing boat Kapila Putha with six fishermen,” an Indian Coast Guard release said.
The boat was spotted about 158 nautical miles north east off Chennai at 2.30 pm, Indian media reported.
The boat was apprehended for violations under Maritime Zones of India Act 1981, the Coast Guard said.
The boat along with the crew were being escorted to Chennai and they will be handed over to police for further legal action, it said.
Recently in March, fishermen of Rameshwaram island had resolved to cooperate with their Sri Lankan counterparts and not use high power motor boats and banned fishing nets.
Also, in the same month, bilateral talks between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen were held, in which Indian fishermen gave a seven point plea including nod to fish in the island nation territory for 83 days in a year, Lankan counterparts, however, had said they would consider.
