India's National Fish Workers Forum (NFF) has urged the Government of India to create a favorable atmosphere for talks between fishermen of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and North-Eastern Sri Lanka to sort out the issues relating to fishing in the sea between India and Sri Lanka.

Addressing media, NFF chairperson, M Ilango, pointed out that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had stressed the need to protect harmony between the fishermen of the two countries, The New Indian Express reported. Ilango also said that the issue between the fishermen should be resolved in such a way that none of them was affected.

Former MLA Illango, urged the Centre to hold talks with Sri Lankan and Tamil Nadu governments and arrange grounds for further talks to resolve the issue.

Illango thanked Sri Lankan president Sirisena for ordering the release of 37 Tamil fishermen from the Sri Lankan prisons after a delegation of Tamil fishermen held talks with him in Colombo recently. He also appealed to Sirisena to release the 25 Indian fishing vessels, now in custody of Sri Lankan forces.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)