Navy arrests 9 local fishermen engaged in illegal fishing
 

Naval personnel attached to Northern Naval Command arrested 9 local fishermen engaged in illegal fishing activities in two separate incidents yesterday (27). Accordingly, 3 persons who were harvesting sea cucumbers in the seas off Point Pedro, were apprehended by naval personnel attached to SLNS Uththara, located in Kankesanthurai. During the raid, a dinghy, 929 sea cucumbers, 10 oxygen cylinders, 2 diving masks, 2 pairs of diving fins were taken into naval custody. The apprehended persons and items were produced to the Jaffna Assistant Directorate of Fisheries for onward action.

On the same day naval personnel attached to Naval Deployment Vettalakerni managed to apprehend 6 persons who were transferring a rare species of Whale Shark that was caught by illegal means. The shark was found to be approximately 14 feet in length. The suspects and the tractor used for the transportation were handed over to Maruthankeni Police for further investigations.