Tamil Nadu fishermen could bring back only 16 boats from Sri Lanka on Friday (24), Indian media reported.

It was alleged that because of wrong information that all 52 boats would be released, many fishermen sailed to Sri Lanka where authorities refused permission to take back all the remaining boats.

Last June, Sri Lankan Navy intercepted fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were fishing in deep sea and seized 86 boats. The fishermen who lost the boats were from Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal.

The Sri Lankan government had agreed to release all the boats as a goodwill gesture ahead of its President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to India last February. In the first step, fishermen brought back 34 boats last month.

“We thought we could get the remaining 52 boats in the second step. Even the fisheries department told us that Sri Lanka had approved the release of all the boats,” said N Devadoss, president, Rameswaram Fishermen Association.

So a team of 143 fishermen began their voyage by 18 boats from Rameswaram last Wednesday, and reached Karainagar port in Sri Lanka the same day.

“But the Lankan Navy told us they would release only 16 boats,” Devadoss added.

He further stressed that it was likely that the third and final step could begin from April 27.

(With inputs from New Indian Express)