Rameswaram fishermen detain 10 Karaikal fishermen along with boat

Rameswaram fishermen detained 10 Karaikal fishermen, along with their boat, in protest against the Karaikal-based fishermen fishing in the Rameswaram sea area.

As the Palk Bay is a narrow maritime zone, fishermen from Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Ramanathapuram districts set sail into the sea on alternate days — three days a week for mechanised trawlers and three days for country boats — in this region.

However, fishermen from Nagapattinam district and Karaikal region obtained deep-sea stay-fishing tokens, which allowed them to remain at sea and fish in the Palk Bay throughout the week, alleged the Rameswaram fishermen.

Since the Nagapattinam and Karaikal fishermen fished throughout the week, the fishermen from Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Ramanathapuram districts were facing significant losses, and their livelihood was severely affected, complained the fishermen.

Even though they submitted written complaints seeking an end to the problem to government officials and the Minister for Fisheries, no action had been taken, they claimed.

In this situation, the Karaikal fishermen were engaged in stay-fishing in the Palk Strait, approximately 15 nautical miles north of Rameswaram, on Monday evening.

Opposing this, groups of the Rameswaram fishermen went into sea in their boats at night, intercepted a mechanised boat from Karaikal, and detained 10 fishermen on board. They brought them to Rameswaram fishing harbour early on Tuesday morning.

The 10 detained fishermen were later sent back to Karaikal by a vehicle, while the seized mechanised boat remained stationed at Rameswaram fishing harbour.

Fisheries Department officials in Ramanathapuram district are holding talks with Karaikal Fisheries officials regarding the incident.

However, the Rameswaram fishermen said the boat would be returned only after a decision ensuring that the Karaikal fishermen did not enter Rameswaram waters for stay-fishing was taken.