INDIA
This is the second incident of arrest by the Lankan Navy this week
Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 12 fishermen from Tamil Nadu in two fishing boats for allegedly fishing in their territorial waters near Talaimannar days after the island nation proposed a Bill to impose hefty fines on foreign fishermen entering their waters.
According to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Fishermen's Association general secretary NJ Bose, the arrested Rameswaram fishermen were charged with fishing not only in the Sri Lankan waters but were also charged with using banned fishing nets which the Lankan Navy claim would destroy their sea wealth. On early hours of Sunday, the Lankan Navy personnel also chased away fishermen in 50 boats after snapping their nets.
This is the second incident of arrest by the Lankan Navy this week. On Thursday, eight fishermen in two fishing boats from Pudukottai district were arrested by the Navy. The island nation's Navy action on Tamil Nadu fishermen came in the wake of a new Bill that was introduced in Sri Lankan Parliament that would have far-reaching implications on Tamil Nadu and Puducherry fishermen. Tamil Nadu fishermen have been demanding unrestricted rights over fishing in the traditional waters of narrow Palk Bay which divides India and Sri Lanka.
The new Lankan Bill enables the Lankan government to slap hefty fines ranging from Sri Lankan rupee 50 lakh to 17.5 crore (ranging from Rs 20 lakh-Rs 7 crore) on Tamil Nadu fishermen, depending on the size of the fishing boats.
As the Lankan Bill was aimed at hitting the livelihood of the fishermen, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the implications of the new Bill that contained provisions to impose huge penalties on fishermen, who engage in legitimate fishing in their traditional fishing grounds of Palk Bay.