Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command arrested 13 local fishermen who engaged in illegal fishing practices using explosives, at two separate locations.
Accordingly, a group of naval personnel attached to SLNS Gajaba in Mannar arrested 4 local fishermen engaged in illegal fishing using dynamite in the sea area of South Bar yesterday (13), SLN said.
During the arrest a dinghy, a GPS unit, a diving mask, a 225 m long fishing net, 2 pairs of diving fins used for fishing activities and a harvest of 766 kg of fish were taken into custody.
The arrested persons along with fishing gear and stock of fish were handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Mannar for further legal action.
Meanwhile, 9 more local fishermen who engaged in illegal fishing activities using gelignite in the seas of Wedithalathive were apprehended by the naval personnel attached to SLNS Buwaneka located in Nachchikuda today (14).
Along with the suspects, the Navy also arrested 2 dinghies, 2 GPS units, 8 pairs of diving fins, 9 diving masks and a stock of 2,475 kg of fish. The arrested suspects, their fishing equipment and 2,475 kg of fish were produced before the Mannar Fisheries Inspector for onward legal action.
