India, Pak Coast Guards Conclude Discussions

New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) Hotline communication between the Indian Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency have borne positive results -- the number of apprehended fishermen has come down sharply during the last nine months.

Both countries confirmed this during delegation-level discussions here between the two maritime security agencies that ended today.

The two sides were led respectively by the Indian Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral RF Contractor and the Director General of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency Rear Admiral Tayyab Ali Dogar at the two-day confabulations.

The discussions encompassed issues pertaining to the violation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by fishermen and procedures for their repatriation alongwith their boats, pollution incidents and response, maritime search and rescue, natural disasters and exchange of information regarding smuggling and illicit trafficking.

According to an official spokesperson, both sides confirmed that regular communication over the hotline had -- since its commissioning nine months ago -- brought down the number of fishermen apprehended for straying into the neighbouring country's territory.

Various modalities of dealing with the violations of the EEZ were also discussed.

Besides, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to providing help to mariners in distress and carrying out coordinated Search&Rescue Operations. The delegations also evinced interest in information- sharing on matters of mutual importance, said the spokesperson.

The number of fishermen and boats in custody on either side as well as the modalities of releasing those whose identities had been established also came up for discussion.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 3, 2005 under which a hotline communication link between the two Director Generals was established on November 14, 2006.

The MoU further stipulates that the heads of the two organisations meet once a year -- alternately in India and in Pakistan -- to review the progress of the MoU.

UNI