On Tuesday alone 34 Indian fishermen were caught by the Lankan navy. (Representational photo)
Chennai:
The Sri Lankan government has ordered the release of all 120 Indian fishermen arrested for trespass, according to highly placed sources in the Tamil Nadu Government's Fishing Ministry.
"We expect a formal announcement on Thursday," sources said.
A source in the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission said, "Yes, but there are a few more issues yet to be sorted."
On Tuesday alone 34 Indian fishermen were caught by the Lankan navy. This is was the first major arrest after Ranil Wickramasinghe took over as Sri Lankan Prime Minister earlier this year.
However, there's no clarity on return of the 48 boats Lankan navy has seized. Some reports indicate Sri Lanka is contemplating imposing heavy fines to return confiscated boats.
Seizure of boats has crippled the livelihood of several fishermen. Each boat they say provides employment opportunity to at least 20 families.
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has been demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu, the island India gifted to Sri Lanka in the late seventies. Party chief J Jayalalithaa has legally challenged the ceding. She claims the act did not have Parliament's approval. Her partymen say in this changed scenario, retrieving the island would give a little more area for Indian fishermen to fish.
However, Indian fishermen want the Centre to sign a lease with Lanka that would allow them to legally fish in Lankan waters, over which they claim to have traditional fishing rights.
More than 600 Indian fishermen have died to Sri Lankan Navy's bullets over the last several decades. After the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Lankan fishermen have resumed fishing and hence they don't want Indian fishermen poaching their marine resources.
Fishermen from Tamil Nadu say there's hardly any fish in Indian waters and that's why they encroach into Sri Lanka's waters. Many still claim they often stray into Lankan waters due to heavy wind.
"We expect a formal announcement on Thursday," sources said.
A source in the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission said, "Yes, but there are a few more issues yet to be sorted."
On Tuesday alone 34 Indian fishermen were caught by the Lankan navy. This is was the first major arrest after Ranil Wickramasinghe took over as Sri Lankan Prime Minister earlier this year.
However, there's no clarity on return of the 48 boats Lankan navy has seized. Some reports indicate Sri Lanka is contemplating imposing heavy fines to return confiscated boats.
Seizure of boats has crippled the livelihood of several fishermen. Each boat they say provides employment opportunity to at least 20 families.
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has been demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu, the island India gifted to Sri Lanka in the late seventies. Party chief J Jayalalithaa has legally challenged the ceding. She claims the act did not have Parliament's approval. Her partymen say in this changed scenario, retrieving the island would give a little more area for Indian fishermen to fish.
However, Indian fishermen want the Centre to sign a lease with Lanka that would allow them to legally fish in Lankan waters, over which they claim to have traditional fishing rights.
More than 600 Indian fishermen have died to Sri Lankan Navy's bullets over the last several decades. After the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Lankan fishermen have resumed fishing and hence they don't want Indian fishermen poaching their marine resources.
Fishermen from Tamil Nadu say there's hardly any fish in Indian waters and that's why they encroach into Sri Lanka's waters. Many still claim they often stray into Lankan waters due to heavy wind.
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