The task of salvaging and taking back scores of Indian fishing vessels released by the Sri Lankan government began on Monday at Kankesanthurai in Jaffna District.

The first of the 24 boats carrying approximately 145 fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrived in Sri Lanka around 4.15 pm, officials said.

According to them a total of 84 boats were to be released. The fishermen on board were not allowed on land because they had no visas. Therefore they had to drop anchor outside the jetty and released boats would be delivered to them there.

Meanwhile 43 Indian fishermen released by a Trincomalee court agreed to be repatriated to India without their boats.

Yesterday morning (16), the Nagapattinam salvage crew had reached the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) near Kodiyakkarai, from where they were escorted by the Lankan navy to Kankesanthurai and Trincomalee coast.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)