The families of 25 Indian fishermen detained in the Maldives appealed on Tuesday, 13 October, to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure their release, a day after the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) seized three foreign fishing boats about 170 nautical miles west of Ari Atoll.
The MNDF has said the three boats were caught inside the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone, but it has not said where they were from or given any details about the people on board. Reports in India say the boats carried 25 fishermen from Tharuvaikulam in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, and that they had set out for deep-sea fishing on 1 October.
The families say the boats did not enter Maldivian waters on purpose, but drifted there because of strong currents and winds. Amalorpavam, the mother of one of the detained fishermen, said the boats had not deliberately crossed the maritime boundary to fish. "As a result, our children have been detained. Therefore, I appeal to the Prime Minister of India to intervene immediately and take appropriate steps to ensure the safe release of the detained fishermen and the return of their fishing boats," she said.
Sudarshan, a fisherman whose brother is among those detained, said the men have fished since childhood and work hard to support their families through it. "The detention of the fishermen has caused significant losses and hardship for us," he said, also calling on the Indian government to act quickly to secure the release of all 25 men and the return of their three boats.
Neither the Maldivian nor the Indian government has announced any decision on the fishermen or their boats. Foreign fishing boats have been caught in Maldivian waters several times over the years, most often from neighbouring India and Sri Lanka.