78 Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian custody

Colombo (PTI): Seventy eight Sri Lankan fishermen are currently held in Indian prisons for straying into the waters of the country, a minister of the island nation has said.

Sri Lanka's Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera told the Parliament here that as many as 498 fishermen have been taken into custody in foreign countries since 2000 and 79 are still in prisons.

Of these 79 fishermen, 78 have been imprisoned in India while one is in the custody of Maldives, he said on Thursday. Steps have already been taken to get these fishermen released and requests have been submitted in this regard through diplomatic channels to mediate with India and Maldives by the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Perera told Parliament while responding to a question by lawmaker Jinadasa Kitulagoda. "The Government's intention is to get these fishermen freed as soon as possible," he said.

Earlier this week, Mr. Perera had asked fishermen not to fish in Indian waters such incidents "will lead to problems" between the two countries. The fishing community had issued an appeal for the release of their people arrested by India.

"These complications will not arise if fishing is carried out within local and permitted international maritime borders. When these keep on occurring it will lead to problem between the two countries," Mr. Perera had said.