Chennai, May 12 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday urged the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of six fishermen from the state arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and to retrieve their seized fishing boat.

In a letter addressed to Union Minister Jaishankar, Chief Minister Vijay expressed concern over the continuing arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities and highlighted the growing distress among coastal communities in the state.

Drawing EAM Jaishankar's attention to the latest incident, the Chief Minister said six fishermen from Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The arrested fishermen were identified as Alex, Antony Rajan, Santhana Arokiyas, Arul D'Britto, Albert and Sahaya Selvasanu.

According to the letter, the fishermen had ventured into the sea on May 10 in a country boat from the Mandapam coastal region for routine fishing operations before they were detained by the Sri Lankan Naval personnel on May 12.

Chief Minister Vijay said that the repeated arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen had become a serious humanitarian and livelihood issue affecting hundreds of fishing families dependent on the Palk Bay region for their survival.

The Chief Minister also added that 54 Tamil Nadu fishermen are currently lodged in Sri Lankan prisons following earlier arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In addition, he noted that Sri Lankan authorities have so far seized 264 fishing boats belonging to fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

Stressing the need for urgent intervention by the Centre, Chief Minister Vijay urged EAM Jaishankar to immediately engage with the Sri Lankan government through appropriate diplomatic channels to secure the fishermen's release and ensure the return of their boats at the earliest.

The letter comes amid renewed tension in the Palk Strait region, where incidents involving Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy continue to recur despite repeated bilateral discussions between India and Sri Lanka on the long-pending fishing dispute.

The Tamil Nadu government has consistently said that the livelihood concerns of traditional fishermen should be handled with sensitivity and has repeatedly sought permanent diplomatic and humanitarian solutions to prevent arrests and boat seizures in the future.

/IANS