SLN’s swift Action saves Lives of Indian Fishermen

(December, 07, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka Navy’s swift action saved the lives of five fishermen on board an Indian fishing trawler in distress south of Thalaimannar in the north western coast of Sri Lanka on the 02nd December 2007.

The Indian fishing trawler named "Lady Matha" had run in to trouble when its propeller got entangled in her own fishing net while engaged in poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The trawler with five crew members on board had later been washed ashore south of Thalaimannar on the 02nd December 2007 around 10.00 p.m. Naval personnel deployed on ground patrol had observed the Indian trawler washing ashore and rescued the fishermen on board. The rescued Indian fishermen were provided with food and accommodation by the Navy.

The rescued Indian fishermen are Solay Appan Anbu (48) of Vercote, Rameshwaram, Sandana Liyon Kingston (28) of Light House Road, Pamban, Subramanium Selvaraja (47) of Indra Nagar, Mandawan, Thawamani Joseph (28) of Light House Road, Pamban and Vignesh Martin Jesurasa (18) of Susai Appanpathom, Thangachchi Madom.

Twenty one fishermen on four Indian trawlers arriving on the 6th December had failed to retrieve the grounded trawler.

Sri Lanka Navy deployed its vessels and provided assitance to the Indian trawlers to make the grounded trawler re-float upon the successful completion of the salvage operation today (07th December). The rescued Indian trawler and the fishermen were escorted to the International Maritime Boundary Line and handed over to the Indian Coast Guard around 3.00 p.m. today.

Sri Lanka Navy patrolling the Sri Lankan waters has observed many Indian fishing trawlers engaged in illegal fishing depriving the Sri Lankan fishermen of the proper harvest of their own fish catch. Due to the goodwill and cordial relations maintained with its neighboring nation, Indian poachers are normally warned off the Sri Lankan waters using megaphones by the Sri Lanka Navy. On many occasions, Sri Lanka Navy has come to the rescue of the Indian fishermen in distress on humanitarian grounds and provided them with assistance using its vessels and personnel despite the heavy expenses incurred by the Navy in the process. Grateful Indian fishermen have expressed their gratitude for the provision of swift rescue assistance and the hospitality extended by the Sri Lanka Navy in providing them with food, medical assistance and accommodation while in distress.

Sri Lanka Navy, fully committed to safeguard the Sri Lankan territorial waters, never shirks its responsibilities in providing humanitarian assistance despite its heavy commitment to fighting LTTE terrorism.