India, Lanka release detained fishermen

September 11th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Fishermen in Gujarat's Veraval region have now equipped their trawlers with Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Now, it would be easy to locate these trawlers on high seas and also warn the fishermen in case they wander into the territorial waters of other countries.

April 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - India Tuesday asked Sri Lanka to take international organisations like the UN into confidence while evacuating civilians from the war zone in the island country. Speaking to reporters here, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee also asked Sri Lanka to distribute the relief materials sent by India through organisations such as the Red Cross.

April 11th, 2009 RAMESHWARAM - Indian Coast Guard officials handed over 34 Sri Lankan fishermen to the island's naval authorities here Saturday, an official said. The fishermen from southern Sri Lanka had trespassed into Indian waters and were arrested along with seven craft and a sizeable catch March 26.

April 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian fishermen inadvertently crossing over into Sri Lanka's territorial waters are sometimes subjected to harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Sunday. He also said killing fishermen is not acceptable in any circumstances.

April 4th, 2009 CHENNAI - While the Sri Lankan Tamils' issue continues to be a hot topic in Tamil Nadu ahead of the parliamentary polls, efforts are on by authorities in the island nation and in India to solve the problem of fishermen trespassing into each other's territorial waters, sources said Saturday. Sri Lankan diplomatic sources indicated that 23 Indian Tamil fishermen who are being held in a prison in the island may be released very soon following representations by the Tamil Nadu government to free them quickly.

April 2nd, 2009 COLOMBO - At least 23 Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy off Thalaimannar island when they were illegally fishing in the nation's territorial waters, an official said Thursday. Acting Navy Spokesman Commander Mahesh Karunaratne said naval crafts on routine patrol arrested the group of 23 Indian fishermen along with six boats for illegally intruding into Sri Lanka's international maritime borders.

March 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Seventy four Indian fishermen were arrested after they strayed into Pakistani territory, authorities said Wednesday. Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency arrested 74 Indian fishermen in the southern port city of Karachi and confiscated 13 boats for violating sea territorial limits, Dawn TV channel quoted a MSA spokesman as saying.

March 19th, 2009 CHENNAI - Five Sri Lankan fishermen caught by the Indian Coast Guard off the Andhra Pradesh coast were remanded to two weeks in judicial custody here Wednesday, the police said. According to police sources, the Sri Lankans travelling by a fishing craft Jeya Sikuru01 were intercepted by a coast guard vessel in the early hours of Tuesday near Machlipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

February 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - India pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the one-off Twenty20 match here Tuesday night. Chasing Sri Lanka's 172, India reached the target with four balls to spare and three wickets in hand with Pathan brothers Yousuf (22 not out) and Irfan (33 not out) turning the odds in their favour after India were seven down for 115.

February 5th, 2009 KARACHI - Fifty Indian fishermen have been arrested for encroaching into Pakistani waters, an official said. The maritime security agency officials arrested 50 Indian fishermen and took nine fishing-boats under control, Geo News reported Friday.

February 4th, 2009 COLOMBO - India maintained their winning streak, beating Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the fourth One-day International at the Premadasa Stadium here Thursday. This was India's ninth victory in a row in the ODI, the highest India have won under skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni -- one better than under captains Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil dev, Saurav Ganguli and Rahul Dravid.

January 27th, 2009 DAMBULLA - India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the first One-day International at the Ranagiri International Stadium here Wednesday. Gautam Gambhir top scored with 62 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained unbeaten on 61 as India achieved the target of 247 in 48.1 overs.

January 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's five-match One-day series against Sri Lanka will begin in Dambulla Jan 28. India will arrive in Sri Lanka Jan 26.

January 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Friday said it had in its detention 343 Indian fishermen while 19 of its own fishermen were in Indian jails for violating maritime boundaries. In an online media briefing, the Foreign Office spokesman said the waters of the Indus delta at the Arabian Sea are considered good for fish breeding that lures the Indian fishermen into entering Pakistan's territorial waters for a better catch.

January 6th, 2009 COLOMBO - Claiming that there was 'no dispute over Kachchathivu island', Sri Lanka Wednesday said that the island located in the Palk Strait off Rameshwaram belonged to the island nation according to the 1974-76 bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka. Responding to a question with regard to the notice issued by the Indian Supreme Court Monday instructing the Indian government to retrieve Kachchathivu, Sri Lanka's acting foreign secretary Prasad Kariyawasam said: 'It is purely a matter for Indian government to deal with and does not apply to Sri Lanka at all.' 'The sovereignty of Kachchathivu was settled with the 1974-76 bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka and accordingly it belongs to Sri Lanka.