Maritime hotline with Pakistan showing results: Coast Guard

New Delhi, Jan 31 (UNI) A maritime hotline between India and Pakistan has helped reduce incidents of inadvertent crossing of sea boundary by the fishermen of the two countries, Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral R F Contractor said today.

''The link has provided better coordination with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency,'' the Vice Admiral told a press conference on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Coast Guard.

The hotline was inaugurated on November 14 last year as part of the confidence building measures between the two countries.

The Director General said fishing vessels found straying within five nautical miles of the maritime boundary were normally returned if nothing incriminating was found on them.

In the past, there had been a large number of incidents of fishermen being caught by each country as the maritime boundary is not clearly demarcated at certain places along the Kutch.

Coast Guard has apprehended about 9,000 foreign fishermen and saved Rs 24 crore worth of aquatic wealth since its inception three decades ago.

UNI