Reacting strongly to incidents of Indian fishermen being detained by Sri Lankan Navy, India today said a senior official of the External Affairs Ministry will soon visit the island nation to resolve the issues as such acts "cannot go on"."I think this cannot go on like this. I think we will have to come to some firm understanding with the government of Sri Lanka," Krishna told mediapersons here.
His comments came after reports that Sri Lankan Navy detained 14 fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly fishing in their waters earlier in the day. They, however, freed the fishermen hours later on sighting an Indian Navy vessel near the International Maritime Boundary Line. Krishna said he will be deputing an MEA Joint Secretary to go to Sri Lanka and "prepare some kind of a ground so that such unpleasant incidents do not frequently occur."
Krishna noted that international water is a "tricky issue" and that fishermen don't recognise international maritime boundaries. In today's incident, the fishermen were taken into custody when they were near the third sand dune between Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka, and Arichalmunai in the sea off Rameswaram, where another group of 13 fishermen were detained by the island navy and released recently.
PTI
Sri Lanka Navy today denied reports by the Indian media, that it arrested 14 Indian for allegedly fishing in Lankan waters. Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya denied the report and said that no arrest of Indian fishermen has been made by the Navy.
“Nothing of this sort has taken place”, he said. In the report, it alleged that the eighteen fishermen had set out to sea in two boats and 14 of them had been arrested and taken to Mannar district in Sri Lanka, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department Markandeyan, said quoting Coastguard officials where one boat was detained.
DM
His comments came after reports that Sri Lankan Navy detained 14 fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly fishing in their waters earlier in the day. They, however, freed the fishermen hours later on sighting an Indian Navy vessel near the International Maritime Boundary Line. Krishna said he will be deputing an MEA Joint Secretary to go to Sri Lanka and "prepare some kind of a ground so that such unpleasant incidents do not frequently occur."
Krishna noted that international water is a "tricky issue" and that fishermen don't recognise international maritime boundaries. In today's incident, the fishermen were taken into custody when they were near the third sand dune between Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka, and Arichalmunai in the sea off Rameswaram, where another group of 13 fishermen were detained by the island navy and released recently.
PTI
Sri Lanka Navy today denied reports by the Indian media, that it arrested 14 Indian for allegedly fishing in Lankan waters. Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya denied the report and said that no arrest of Indian fishermen has been made by the Navy.
“Nothing of this sort has taken place”, he said. In the report, it alleged that the eighteen fishermen had set out to sea in two boats and 14 of them had been arrested and taken to Mannar district in Sri Lanka, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department Markandeyan, said quoting Coastguard officials where one boat was detained.
DM
