NFF thanks Govt for releasing Indian fishermen

The National Fish Workers Forum (NFF) today thanked the Sri Lanka government for its goodwill gesture ahead of Pongal festival to release all 104 Indian fishermen arrested by the island nation's Navy. 

Chairman of NFWF M Ilango said the Sri Lankan government's announcement yesterday to set free all fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry incarcerated there for allegedly poaching in their territorial waters "has come as a happy development." 

"The NFF thanks the Sri Lankan president and the other authorities in the country for the gesture," he said in a release here.  Ilango also requested that all vessels impounded allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy be released. 

The Ministry of Fisheries and Acquatic Resources had said that in view of the Thai Pongal festival, Sri Lanka would release all the Indian fishermen today.  It had said the letter of recommendation for their release has been sent to the President by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.(PTI)