10 Indian fishermen apprehended by Lankan Navy in Tamil Nadu

Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) [India], Jan. 8 (ANI): As many as 10 Indian fishermen were apprehended, along with two boats, by the Sri Lankan Navy at Palk Strait on Sunday morning. The arrest comes a day after eight Indian fishermen were detained by Sri Lankan Navy along with one boat near Neduntheevu in Palk Strait. Immediate release of the fishermen presently in custody has been announced following the ministerial level talks between Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India Radha Mohan Singh and Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka Mahinda Amaraweera in Colombo. The talks were held on Monday following the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries held in New Delhi on December 31. While the fishermen from the Southern states have been demanding release of their fellow fishermen and trawlers, their counterpart in Sri Lanka asserts that bottom trawling used by Indian fishermen has caused extensive damage to the marine eco system.(ANI)