MADURAI: As many as 22 fishermen from Rameswaram, who were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy for straying into international waters, have been released and they arrived in Pamban through boats.

On Saturday, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended and interrogated two country boats with 22 fishermen.

A delegation of fishermen met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday night, requesting for the release of these fishermen, who had strayed into international waters due to adverse climatic conditions.

The Finance Minister spoke to the Foreign Secretary and the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, following which the fishermen were released.

As the fishermen returned to India, senior representatives of the Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, Ramanathapuram district on Sunday thanked Sitharaman for her intervention.

On October 14 and 28, the Sri Lankan Naval Force arrested 64 Tamil

Nadu fishermen and detained 10 boats. But with consistent efforts of the central government, except for one fisherman Nambumurugan, 63 others were released.

Nambumurugan of Thangachimadam was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a court in Sri Lanka. The association sought intervention from the State and the Central government to help quash the sentence and release the poor fisherman.

During the meeting, the representatives also sought to release 133 boats, which had been in Sri Lankan custody since 2018.

Meanwhile, they extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for executing various schemes and facilities for the welfare of the fishermen fraternity.

To bring an end to the never-ending issue concerning frequent arrests of TN fishermen by the Lankan Navy, they sought the central government to retrieve traditional rights of fishing at Katchatheevu as per 1974 agreement made between the Indian and the Sri Lankan government.