A group of 85 fishermen today left this coast, escorted by Indian Coast Guard Personnel, to tow back 14 Indian fishing boats released by a Sri Lankan court about a month back, fisheries department officials said.
The fishermen would be escorted upto the International Maritime Boundary Line by the ICG personnel,and from there they would be escorted by Lankan Navy to Karainagar coast of Sri Lanka where the seized boats had been anchored,Assistant Director of Fisheries department, Gopinath, said.
The boats would be towed by the Indian fishermen to Rameswaram.
While 11 boats belonged to Rameswaram, one boat belonged to Nagapattinam and two to Pudukottai districts,Gopinath said.
Meanwhile, police seized four tractors which were being used to pull a banned fishing net (Karai net-a banned fishing net) spread in the sea near the coast at Iranian valasai near Devipattinam in Ramanathapuram district.
The fishermen had gone into the sea, and spread the banned net tied to a rope and the other end of the rope was hooked to the tractors ashore.
No arrests have been made. The licence of the tractors had been cancelled and vehicles impounded by the Regional Transport officer.Four drivers have been detained for questioning, police said.
