Sri Lanka releases all 54 fishermen arrested this week
Colombo, Mar 27: Sri Lanka has released all 54 Indian fishermen arrested this week for allegedly fishing in the country's territorial waters, Indian officials confirmed today.
The Indian officials in Colombo told news agency Press Trust of India that 40 of them were released on Friday and the remaining 14 have been released this morning.
The 54 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on March 24 at two different locations in the north and northeastern seas. The Lankan Navy had also seized their five trawlers.
Upon their arrest, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said that they were providing consular assistance to the arrested fishermen.
Ahead of Pamban Country Boat fishermen strike, Lankan Navy apprehends 7 Indian fishermen
It said the fishermen's issue needed to be treated in a humanitarian manner. The Indian High Commission in a statement said the bilateral mechanisms were being utilised to see an expeditious settlement of the issue.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters. The fishermen issue has become a major irritant in bilateral ties.
In January, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka, he met with Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda and raised the fishermen issue and reviewed bilateral cooperation in fisheries.
"We
look
forward
to
the
early
return
of
our
fishermen
from
Sri
Lanka,"
Mr
Jaishankar
had
said.
Later,
a
three-member
committee
was
appointed
by
the
Sri
Lankan
government
which
will
make
recommendations
on
measures
to
stop
poaching
by
Indian
fishermen
inside
the
country's
waters
after
four
people
were
killed
when
an
Indian
trawler
capsized
after
colliding
with
a
Sri
Lankan
Navy
vessel.