Kumari fishermen held by Maldives Coast Guard

NAGERCOIL: Eleven fishermen from Eraviputhenthurai coastal hamlet in Kanyakumari district have been detained by the Maldives Coast Guard for crossing the international boundary. Father Churchil of the South Asian Fishermen Fraternity Forum (SAFFF) told Express that Sernando alias Jerine (43), Arockiadoss (23), Anish (23), Nicholas (43), John Prabhu (24), Robert Antony (27), Mariadhasan (24), Thadeuse (24), Ajish (22), Anthoniadimai (43) and Joseph Lijin (18) had ventured out into the sea for fishing in a mechanized boat on February 23.On February 29, around 3.30 am, when the fishermen were fishing in deep sea, they were arrested by the Maldives Coast Guard for crossing the international boundary. The detained fishermen, with the help of the Maldives Coast Guard personnel, had informed their relatives at Eraviputhenthurai about their arrest.Acting on this, the SAFFF had send letters to the State Fisheries Secretary, the District Collector, the Assistant Director of Fisheries —  Colachel and Nagercoil, the Kanyakumari MP and the Chief Minister to take immediate action to repatriate the detained fishermen to India. “As per the information we received, the Maldives government has not registered any cases against our fishermen till now,” Fr Churchil said on Thursday. District Collector S Nagarajan informed media that the State government along with the Centre, had taken steps for the safe return of the fishermen from Maldives and within a day or two, the detained fishermen would be released.