The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday released 42 fishermen arrested by it for allegedly violating the International Maritime Boundary Line, a senior Fisheries Department official said.
The fishermen from Keechankuppam and Arucottuthurai hamlets in the district who ventured into the sea on Sunday, were arrested off the coast of Pulmoddai on Tuesday night on charges of violating the IMBL and taken to Trincomalee.
All the fishermen were released on Wednesday and expected to return to Nagapattinam within few days, V Gunasekharan, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department, told PTI.
In Colombo, the Navy spokesperson Kosala Warnakulasuriya said the fishermen on board six trawlers were arrested on Tuesday night off the coast of Pulmoddai in the east.
During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had taken up the "emotive issue" of Indian fishermen and said it should be handled with care on both sides.
Sri Lanka-India Joint Working Group on fisheries met early this month to thrash out issues related to fishing.
Fishermen of both sides stray into each other's waters regularly in addition to Sri Lanka Navy coming under accusations of attacks against Indian fishermen.
