India,Lanka working closely for release of fishermen

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The High Commissions of Sri Lanka in India are working closely with the Indian government for the release of Sri Lankan fishermen held in Indian custody for crossing into Indian waters.

"India is responding favourably," said Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne. "This is the result of successful talks had between top -level fisheries administration officials and experts of the Fisheries Ministry of Sri Lanka and India at the Joint Commission on Indo-Lanka fisheries," the minister said.

Sri Lanka and India have been releasing fishermen arrested by their Coastguards on charges of violating International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) law and on illegal fishing since the successful conclusion of the fourth Session of the Indo-Lanka Joint Working Group meeting held on January 14 this year.

The Group agreed to take steps for fast repatriation fishermen who get stranded in waters of the two countries. Minister Senaratna said , India has released 27 Sri Lankan fishermen along with five boats on Thursday.

Indian Coastguards had handed them over to Sr Lankan Coastguards at the IMBL off Kankesanthurai.

According to Fisheries Ministry Maritime Surveillance Unit Director Lal de Silva, the local fishermen were arrested for illegal fishing in the Indian seas.

"They were not even in the Indian custody for one month. Repatriation has been worked out in less than a month," he said.

"The Indian and Sri Lankan Coast Guards are working in friendly terms about the repatriation work," he said.

Sri Lanka too has released more than 50 Indian fishermen over the past few months to be repatriated to India.

Sri Lanka Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said, they have been able to minimize the number of poaching incidents by Indian vessels over the past few months by IMBL patrolling.

"We managed to send them back. In some cases we rescued some of the fishermen and their boats," he said.