Rameswaram Fisherman Rescued By Locals In Sri Lanka After Boat Sinks

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

TN Fisherman Rescued After Boat Capsizes

A fisherman from Tamil Nadu who was stranded in the sea near Neduntheevu in Sri Lanka after his country boat capsized due to strong winds was rescued safely by local fishermen from Jaffna and Neduntheevu and later handed over to the police.

Police investigation revealed that the rescued fisherman was identified as Pandi Poosari (56), a resident of the Natarajapuram area in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district.

Poosari had ventured into the sea alone in a country boat when the incident occurred amid rough weather conditions and strong winds in the region. Officials said the boat reportedly capsized in the waters off Neduntheevu, following which local fishermen from nearby areas launched rescue efforts and managed to bring him to safety. After being rescued, the fisherman was handed over to the Sri Lankan police authorities for further procedures and verification. Further details are awaited as an investigation is underway into the matter.

The Perennial Fishermen Dispute

Earlier last month, 30 Indian fishermen arrived in Sri Lanka and made their way back home safely. 21 of them were from Ramanathapuram, while 9 others were from Karaikal. The fishermen, hailing from Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Karaikal regions, had ventured into the sea on February 15 in two boats for fishing. They were alleged to have crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line and were thus apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, who seized their boats and took them to Sri Lanka. The fishermen were later produced before a court in Mallakam and subsequently lodged in a prison in Jaffna.

MP's Perspective on the Conflict

Previously, Sri Lankan MP Harsha de Silva told ANI that the issue of Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka is a perennial issue and will not go away soon, because both sides depend on fishing for a living. "This is a perennial issue, you know it's not going away because I think on both sides of the straits, you know, folks are depending on fish for their living. These are not, you know, big corporates these are small fishermen, and when the Indian trawlers come, and you can see the satellite images, you know, they do not come in dozens but rather in hundreds, and they go back, so the issue, I think, is a complicated one. You can't just say this is the line so you stay here, and you know somehow stay on this," he said.

Silva then said that it is more of a legal issue than a political. "Yes, every foreign minister and deputy foreign minister worked on this. It is about bottom trawling and whether bottom trawling is a traditional fishing method, and you know, does it destroy the seabed? But as I said, I think the solution is economics-related, not legal," he said.

The issue of frequent arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities has remained a longstanding concern between the two countries, particularly affecting fishing communities in Tamil Nadu. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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