Anbumani Ramadoss Condemns Destruction of Tamil Nadu Fishermen’s Boats in Sri Lanka

Chennai: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has condemned reports that fishing boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen, seized by Sri Lankan authorities, are being dismantled and destroyed at Mayiladdy ports in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

In a statement, Ramadoss said the boats had reportedly been kept at ports including Kankesanthurai, Mayiladdy, Mannar and Vavuniya after being seized by Sri Lankan authorities.

According to him, more than 200 boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen have remained in Sri Lanka since 2021. He said fishermen are often released and returned to Tamil Nadu after being arrested for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line, but their boats are not returned.

Ramadoss said fishermen in Rameswaram had reported that a significant number of boats had been dismantled over the past two days, although the exact number of boats destroyed could not be confirmed.

He argued that the boats should be returned to the fishermen when the arrested fishermen are released, instead of being retained or destroyed.

Ramadoss also referred to the destruction of more than 30 fishing boats in Sri Lanka in August last year, alleging that excavators were used to dismantle the vessels. He said the continued destruction of the boats could severely affect the livelihoods of fishing communities in Tamil Nadu.

He further claimed that each fishing boat directly supports around 10 fishing families, while several other families benefit indirectly through activities including unloading, local sales, exports, boat maintenance, ice production and fuel supply.

Ramadoss called on the Government of India to immediately engage with the Sri Lankan authorities to stop the destruction of Tamil Nadu fishermen’s boats and secure their return to their owners.

He also urged the Indian government to work towards a permanent solution to the long-running fishermen’s dispute between India and Sri Lanka.

The PMK leader additionally called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to put pressure on the Central Government to take action on the issue.