Rameswaram: Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing off Neduntheevu early on Tuesday (August 13), a fishermen association leader said here.

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The naval personnel also drove away more than 2,000 fisherfolks who were engaged in fishing in their territorial waters besides snapping the nets of more than 50 boats.

The incident occurred early this morning when the fishermen from this island town had ventured into the sea in over 500 boats and were fishing near Neduntheevu.

A Sri Lankan Navy patrol team arrived at the spot and arrested seven fishers and took them to Kangesanthurai port in the island nation along with their boat, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President P Sesuraja alleged.

The others were chased away following which all of them returned to the shore without a catch, he said.

On July 31, seven fishermen from here were arrested by the Lankan naval authorities off Neduntheevu for allegedly fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.

Sri Lankan Navy also had arrested six Tamil Nadu fishermen near Nedhuntheevu on charges of crossing into the Sri Lankan waters.

A fisheries department official had said that fishermen from Nambuthalai in Ramanathapuram district, had put out to the sea in a country boat on July 11. Sri Lankan Navy personnel who were patrolling the area registered cases against the six fishermen for catching fish in their territory and took them to Kangasenthurai.

Over 3,000 Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly chased away by Sri Lankan Navy personnel while they were fishing off Katchatheevu on June 27.