Rameswaram fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In yet another incident, nine fishermen from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy personnel on charges of poaching in international waters late on Wednesday night.According to information available in the coastal district on Thursday, Fisheries Department officials said they had issued 297 tokens to mechanised trawlers from the Rameswaram jetty on Wednesday morning.At around 10 p.m. on Wednesday (August 12), a boat belonging to Wellington of Rajan Nagar, Thangachimadam, was intercepted reportedly by the Sri Lankan Navy’s surveillance team near Katchatheevu islet.After a preliminary inquiry, the Navy personnel took the fishermen, including Janathan, 45, Antony Pitchai, 38, Prabhu, 43, Don Bosco, 55, Arockia Devin, 31, Veluchamy, 51, Subbiah, 52, Arockia Jeniston, 25, and Stevin, 30, into custody. The arrested fishermen hailed from Rameswaram, Pamban, Virudhunagar and Thangachimadam.A senior official in the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department said all nine arrested fishermen were taken to the Talaimannar Naval Port and were likely to be produced in a court and sent to judicial custody.Meanwhile, fishermen in the coastal district were shocked to hear the news.A fisherman said, “Only five days ago, we had stayed away from fishing for a day after the arrest of nine fishermen when their trawler reportedly developed a technical snag near Neduntheevu islet.”“The latest arrest shows that the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government are only mute spectators and do not seem to be interested in finding a lasting solution. When we have been appealing repeatedly to help and intervene as it involves our livelihood, such a nonchalant attitude has caused hardship and mental agony among our families,” Jesu Raja, a fishermen leader, told The Hindu.He said that when the country was celebrating its 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026, the fishermen from Rameswaram alone were still caught in the clutches of the Lankan Navy personnel.“When we have been fishing in the 12 to 15 nautical miles along the Palk Straits over the last 50 years, such step-motherly treatment to us is paining,” he said.“The younger generation in our community are already caught in a dilemma and are hesitating to take up the profession due to the insecurity and humiliation faced by us in the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy. Where do we go? All these years, we have been waging a lone battle. How do we survive for our livelihood?” he asked.At least 50% of the population in the fishing colonies in the coastal districts are directly dependent on fishing. The rest look for opportunities in selling the produce in small outlets and engage in other means for daily wages.Most of the trawlers are being impounded in the island nation’s ports. The fines imposed by Sri Lankan courts are hefty, making it difficult for fishermen to honour them. As a result, they have to serve jail terms for six months or even more.The families here are suffering in all means and many elders have also been facing psychological issues.“The only appeal to the Centre and the newly elected government in Tamil Nadu is to help us by getting the jailed fishermen released on August 15 and take action to get back the trawlers,” Mr. Jesu Raja added. Published - August 13, 2026 08:56 pm IST
