TUTICORIN, MARCH 5. The Coast Guard Ship (CGS) Naikidevi today apprehended 11 Sri Lankans for illegally fishing in Indian waters. The force had also seized from them two fishing boats fitted with sophisticated communication system.

Shortly after the two fishing boats - ‘Salakumari’ and ‘Lasen’ - along with the Sri Lankan nationals were escorted by Naikidevi to the harbour, the Commander of the Coast Guard Tuticorin station, Comm. K. S. Sheoran, told newsmen here on Monday that when the CGS was engaged in routine patrolling in the Gulf of Mannar region, the Sri Lankan boats were located 10 nautical miles inside the IBL off Manapad.

The Sri Lankan crew were found fishing in the Indian waters at a depth of 1500 mtrs with tuna longlines and nets, he said adding that when the CGS Naikidevi challenged the boats, they started fleeing towards the IBL, leaving their nets in water.

Even as the CGS increased speed and forcibly stopped the two boats, the Coast Guard’s boarding party, led by Assistant Commandant, V. K. Parmar, boarded the first boat at 6.50 a.m. and the second one at 7.05 a.m. The Sri Lankan boats were fitted with sophisticated equipment including global positioning system, high frequency ICOM set, auto telephone and magnetic compass. The boats were having about 1000 kg each of fresh fish on board, Comm. Sheoran said.

The apprehended crew claimed that the boats belonged to Negombo in Sri Lanka. They ventured into sea on February 28 and started fishing in the Sri Lankan waters on March 1. However, they set course for fishing in Indian waters on March 2 due to lack of catch in their area. All the 11 Sri Lankans were Sinhalese. The crew members were not in possession of any licence or identity cards. They would be handed over to the police, he said.

The Sri Lankan crew were charged under different sections of the Maritime Zone of India Act, 1981 and Indian Passport Act, 1920. The crew of ’Salakumari’ had been identified as W. Jude Fernando (36), Harasan Fernando (20), Nival Fernando (31), Chandan Fernando (18), Ranjan Fernando (40) and Ashoka Fernando (32) and the crew of ‘Lasen’ had been identified as Thutta Fernando (24), Nisank Fernando (20), Donal Fernando (32), Rakshi Fernando (21) and Amal Fernando (26), he said. (Courtesy Hindu}