Navy facilitates repatriation of 80 Indian fishermen
 

Sri Lanka Navy facilitated the repatriation of 80 Indian fishermen today (04^th September 2017). Seventy-six (76) of them had been taken into custody for trespassing into the Sri Lankan territorial waters and engaging in illegal fishing activities. The rest (04) were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy while drowning in northern seas on 31^st of August.

The 76 Indian fishermen were apprehended on separate occasions by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard for engaging in the illegal fishing method of bottom trawling in the Sri Lankan territorial waters. Bottom trawling is considered as a destructive fishing practice that causes severe damage to the fish stocks and other maritime resources.

Sri Lanka Navy’s Landing Craft L 820 and Coast Guard’s Fast Attack Craft CG 41 were deployed for the repatriation mission. The repatriated Indian fishermen were handed over to the Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sarang’ at the International Maritime Boundary Line north of Kankesanthurai this evening.