Sri Lanka soon to release all Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture

NewsBharati    25-Feb-2018
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Colombo, February 25: The Sri Lankan government has decided to release remaining 20 Indian fishermen in their custody for charges of poaching in Sri Lankan waters. This will be the first time in recent years that no Indian fishermen are left in Sri Lankan custody.

A spokesman in the fisheries department said the order for release has been issued and the fishermen are likely to be repatriated next week after completing formalities. The decision to release fishermen came soon after 109 fishermen were released earlier this month and repatriated last week.

Sri Lanka has been releasing fishermen as a goodwill gesture but boats are retained for a longer period. More than 170 boats are in Sri Lankan custody and the government has recently passed legislation to heavily fine foreign vessels entering into its territory.

Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other’s territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

Owing to lengthy and slow bureaucratic and legal procedures, the fishermen usually remain in jail for several months.