India and Sri Lanka on Monday announced that they would release fishermen in each others’ custody following a high-level meeting in Colombo. The move is a step toward reducing hostility between the two nations over violation of territorial water borders.
While the joint statement did not specify how many fishermen were in custody and for how long, it stated that Sri Lanka would release 51 fishermen while India would free three fishermen, PTI reported. Sri Lanka also agreed to the request for the release of Indian vessels.
India’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Sri Lanka’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera agreed to standard operating procedures that would fast-track the release of the fishermen. The countries also reached an agreement to ensure safety of the fishermen in custody.
Fishermen from the two countries have constantly been arrested for crossing territorial waters. On Monday, Sri Lanka reiterated its demand that Indian fishermen stopped bottom trawling, a method that has been proven unsustainable for fishing. India vowed to phase out the practice.
Before leaving for the meeting, Singh had said, “The Congress did not act to solve the issue [fishermen issue] during its tenure and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking all steps to protect our fishermen and solve their issues,” the news agency reported.
In November, representatives of the two countries discussed a proposal to set up a coast guard hotline to avoid further disputes. A joint working group meeting will be held in April 2017 to review progress. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states that fishermen who violated territorial water borders may be warned and even fined but not arrested, Reuters reported.
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