Twenty-one Sri Lankan fishermen detained by Maldivian authorities for entering Maldivian waters illegally have been released with the intervention of the Sri Lankan government, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister P. Harrison said.
Speaking at a meeting yesterday at the National Aquaculture Development Authority, the Minister said that four fishing vessels and the skippers arrested along with the fishermen are still in Maldivian custody and discussions are underway with the Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka regarding their release.
The Ministry Secretary and relevant officials in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Ministry have already taken measures to bring them back to Sri Lanka since none of them hold a valid passport, the Minister said.
State Minister of Fisheries Dilip Wedaarachchi, and NAQDA Chairman Nuwan Prasanna were also present at the meeting.
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