The first day of venturing into the sea after staying on the shores for six days due to inclement weather turned bitter for eight fishermen from Pamban as they were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday.
Police sources said the fishers had put out to sea on a boat belonging to M. Uyirtharaj of Mandapam. Even as they were in the high seas, the Sri Lankan Navy rounded them up and towed them to the island nation. Their boat was also seized.
The arrested fishers are A. Jayastan, 36; T. Thalsa, 50; A. Charles, 54; S. Lasar Kebiston, 30; T. Dinesh, 38; R. Muniyasamy, 58; S. Arul Pritson, 28; and O. Jan Simon, 31.
Fishing boats from the island had not ventured into the sea since Nobember 30 as fishermen had been warned against setting sail in the Bay of Bengal owing to cyclone Michaung. “No boat has sailed for the past six days and we suffered a loss of a daily turnover of ₹2 crore to ₹3 crore,” P. Sesuraja, president, All Mechanished Boats Association, P. Sesuraja, said.