Nagapattinam fishermen allege looting of fishing nets by Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking assailants

Fishermen from various coastal villages in Vedaranyam taluk of Nagapattinam district have reported five incidents of net damage and alleged theft by Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking assailants between October 7 and 10.

Complaints have been lodged with the Vedaranyam marine police, while some villages are yet to report incidents.

On October 8, fishermen from Pushpavanam reported losing 370 kg of nets, valued at ₹1,85,000, while fishing 15 nautical miles southeast of Kodiyakkarai.

Three Sri Lankan assailants approached them, leading the fishermen to cut their nets and return to the shore. A complaint was filed on October 9.

Four incidents were reported by Vellapallam fishermen. In the first, 50 kg of nets worth ₹40,000 went missing while fishing 14 nautical miles southeast of Kodiakkarai on October 7. In another incident, 300 kg of nets, valued at ₹1,10,000, were cut and stolen on October 8.

On the night of October 8, alleged Sri Lankan assailants cut 100 kg of nets from another group of Vellapallam fishermen. On October 9, assailants allegedly assaulted fishermen 12 nautical miles southeast of Kodiakkarai, looting 50 kg of fish and nets worth ₹90,000. All of them filed complaints with the Marine police.

Although no formal complaints have been lodged, fishermen from Seruthur reported four incidents of theft, including the loss of nets, GPS devices, fuel, and fish, between October 8 and 9.

Marine police are investigating the claims but face challenges in verifying locations due to missing or inactive GPS devices. All reported incidents are under investigation by the Vedaranyam marine police. A senior officer stated, “If fishermen trespass into Sri Lankan waters, it is a violation. We are continuously raising awareness among them to fish within our territorial waters. Each reported incident will be thoroughly investigated in due course.”

Published - October 13, 2024 08:09 pm IST