11 fishermen apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy near Needuntheevu islet
Eleven fishermen from Rameswaram, Pamban, Thangachimadam, and Kerala were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy personnel on the Neduntheevu islet on charges of poaching in the
Eleven fishermen from Rameswaram, Pamban, Thangachimadam, and Kerala were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy personnel on the Neduntheevu islet on charges of poaching in the early hours of Thursday (August 6, 2026). According to information from the Fisheries Department officials, 434 tokens were issued to fishermen on Wednesday (August 5) from the Rameswaram jetty. The 11 fishermen were fishing in a fibre boat owned by Ramesh, which was reportedly an unregistered trawler.
The trawler developed a technical snag and went out of control, drifting towards the Neduntheevu islet. The officials said that the fishermen were detained and taken to a naval port in Sri Lanka by the surveillance team of the Sri Lankan Navy. Fishermen’s demands Fishermen’s association leader Jesu Raja told The Hindu that there are about 50 fibre boats in the coastal district. The fishermen had given a facelift to their vessel by changing the steel body to fibre material.
Hence, it is the same boat, but the officials have not been accepting this and have not been issuing registration numbers to the trawler in question. When such trawlers are caught on charges of poaching, the problems become more complicated, and obtaining bail becomes difficult. At a time when the fishermen have been fighting for their livelihood and seeking assistance from the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre, such arrests only add to the problems faced by the fishers, he added.
The Tamil Nadu government should register the modified boats and give them registration numbers, he appealed, urging the authorities to help secure the safe return of the fishermen and the trawler from the island nation. The Fisheries Department officials said that the arrested fishermen included one from Kerala, who was identified as Rohan (35).
The BriefWire