25 Indian fishermen in custody

Twenty five Indian fishermen were arrested and their five fishing trawlers seized in the seas off Mannar North last evening, Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.

He said ten of the fishermen and two trawlers were handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Inspector while 15 fishermen and three trawlers were handed over to the Kalpitiya police.

According to the Indian media, tension prevailed along the coast of Rameswaram after the Sri Lankan navy arrested 26 fishermen and impounded their five boats that had sailed from Mandapam on Thursday morning.

They said a group of fishermen from the region staged a demonstration at Thangachimadam urging the Indian Government to take measures to obtain the release of 18 Pamban fishermen detained by Sri Lanka recently.

Indian media said the fishermen were taken into custody by the Lankan Navy near the 5th sand dune off the Dhanushkodi coast. According to local fishermen, the Mandapam fishermen sail in that direction and fish near the dunes. (Chaturanga Pradeep)