As many as eight Indian fishermen were detained by Sri Lankan Navy along with one boat near Neduntheevu in Palk Strait.
The incident comes two days after ten Indian fishermen were apprehended near Neduntheevu in Palk Strait along with two boats by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishermen have been taken to Jaffna Naval camp for investigation.
Immediate release of the fishermen presently in custody has been announced following the ministerial level talks between Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India Radha Mohan Singh and Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka Mahinda Amaraweera in Colombo.
The talks were held on Monday following the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries held in New Delhi on December 31.
While the fishermen from the Southern states have been demanding release of their fellow fishermen and trawlers, their counterpart in Sri Lanka asserts that bottom trawling used by Indian fishermen has caused extensive damage to the marine eco system. (ANI)
-Agencies
