Five fishermen attacked:

Fishing trawler seized in Southern seas

Ridma Dissanayake and Mahinda P. Liyanage

A multi-day fishing trawler that left the shores of Kudawella in Tangalle had been seized by alleged human smugglers who also hacked and injured the five fishermen on board before fleeing with the skipper of the trawler.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of yesterday in the deep sea near Tangalle.

The unidentified group believed to be persons involved in illegal human trafficking to Australia had arrived in a smaller boat. Prior to seizing the trawler the group had pushed the fishermen into sea after attacking them with sharp weapons.

Thereafter they fled with the trawler and its skipper according to Police. However, two of the injured fishermen who were able to hang onto a piece of rigifoam board floating on the water had been spotted by a merchant vessel which rescued them before handing them over to the Sri Lanka Navy who in turn admitted them to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The other three fishermen are reportedly missing.

The two fishermen, Loku Yakdehige Roshan(28) and Galappaththi Arachchige Suranaga(30) are under treatment at the Karapitiya hospital Emergency Treatment Unit.

In the meantime a protest campaign had been organized to be held in the evening yesterday by the fishing Kudawella community with the support of fishermen from other areas demanding prompt investigation into the incident and to start rescue operations to trace the missing fishermen.

Meanwhile, the Navy said two merchant ships - MV Lusail and MV Edith Maersk in the south-eastern deep seas of Sri Lanka were informed about the incident on Monday evening.

Navy Media Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasooriya said after they received the message from the merchant ships the Navy deployed SLNS Jayasagara to bring the rescued fishermen ashore for medical treatment after being rescued in the deep south eastern sea of Sri Lanka.

MV Lusail had deviated from its own course to hand over the injured fisherman it had taken on board.

“The timely action taken by the two merchant vessels had been commendable and it had saved the lives of the fishermen,” the Spokesman added . The ships handed over the rescued fishermen to SLNS Jayasagara to transfer them ashore for medical treatment, the Navy Media Spokesman further explained.

The rescued fishermen were subsequently handed over to the Galle Harbour Police. The Navy said that they did not have any information regarding the other three fishermen who were alleged to have been thrown into the sea. Galle Habour Police and Tangalle Police are investigating.