Fishermen venture into Lankan waters: Indian Navy

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?

id=NEWEN20070008507

 

Fishermen venture into Lankan waters: Indian Navy

 

Sam Daniel

Thursday, April 12, 2007 (Palk Bay)

The Indian Navy, which patrols the international boundary line

between India and Sri Lanka, has reacted to the recent attacks by Sri

Lanka's navy on Indian fishermen.

 

The Indian Navy has accused Tamil Nadu fishermen of trespassing into

Lankan waters.

 

After the alleged killing of five Indan fishermen by the Lankan navy,

IMS Baratang has been patrolling the ninety nautical mile long

international boundary line between the two countries.

 

There have also been four attempts to smuggle explosives to the LTTE

over the last two months. The three tier security includes patrolling

by three advanced vessels, regular sorties by aircrafts and

helicopters and monitoring by seven naval detachments along the coast.

 

" Our aim is to keep this area under to ensure there is no crossing of

contrabands, " said Commodore Philip Vanhaltren, Naval Officer in

Command, TN.

 

While Indian waters extend just up to twelve nautical miles around

the Island of Katchatheevu, for the first time the navy has come on

record to say that fishermen from Tamil Nadu tresspass up to thirty

nautical miles - much beyond the international boundary line.

 

During NDTV's visit not a single Indian boat was be seen on Indian

waters during the peak fishing hours.

 

While it's a fact that there is hardly any catch in Indian waters,

for the fishermen it's a question of their very survival.

 

It's the enough reason for the state and central governments to work

on a long term agreement with the Lankan government to restore the

traditional fishing rights in their waters.