Indian Navy Recovers Two Coast Guard Sailors From Sri Lankan Fishing Vessel

Shailesh Kumar

New Delhi

On 08 Dec 09, Indian Coast Guard Ships Priyadarshini and Sarang apprehended seven Sri Lankan fishing boats poaching in Indian waters. The ship was thereafter escorting the SL boats to Visakhapatnam, with two Coast Guard sailors on each boat. On the night of 09/10 Dec 09, whilst on passage, the two Coast Guard sailors positioned on a boat, Win Marine, were overpowered under knife attack, and the boat slipped away with the two CG sailors on board.

A combined search operation was thereafter launched by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. The Sri Lankan fishing vessel was relocated in the forenoon of 11 Dec 09 approximately 200 kms East of Chennai and the two CG sailors were recovered in a carefully measured operation by Indian Naval sailors. The Indian Coast Guard sailors are safe and sound and there were no civilian casualties. The apprehended Sri Lankan fishing trawlers will now be handed over to police to initiate penal action as laid down in the Maritime Zones of India Act 1976.

Instances of Sri Lankan fishermen trespassing through Indian waters have been on the rise in the recent past, and are a serious cause of concern. In the year 2009, 123 boats alongwith 647 Sri Lankan fishermen have been apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard.