TN association urges release of 5 fishermen held in Seychelles

Chennai, April 21 (IANS) A Tamil Nadu-based fishermen's association has urged the Centre to put pressure on the government of Seychelles to release the five Indian fishermen who have been in the island nation's custody since last month.Justin Antony, President of the International Fishermen Development Trust (INFDET), wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday requesting a diplomatic dialogue between the Centre and the Seychelles government to release the five captains and their vessels.Sixty-one fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Kerala were detained on March 7 and 9 by the Seychelles authorities after they waded into the waters of island nation on board five boats. In his letter, Antony Jmentioned that the five captains are from poor backgrounds and will not be able to make any payment for their release and requested Jaishankar to intervene in the matter urgently. He also said that the boats were bought as a collective of around 120 traditional fishermen families of Kanniyakumari district and after the boats were detained by the Seychelles authorities, they don't have any revenue and the loan amounts are pounding."The families of the five captains are in dire straits and the government of India must intervene in the matter immediately. The captains will not be able to pay and fine to get them released along with their boats and the only hope is the diplomatic talk and release of the five captains and their boats from the custody of Seychelles authorities," Antony told IANS.
--IANS aal/ksk/

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