Coast Guard releases 48 Pak. fishermen

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, DEC. 8. In a goodwill gesture for Ramadan, five Pakistani fishing boats and their crew of 48 men, caught on the peripheral waters of India close to the international boundary line off Jakhau port in Kutch, were released by the Indian Coast Guard soon after apprehending them. This is not the norm but the spirit of Ramadan prevailed.

Normally, such vessels when apprehended on the high seas, lead to interrogation and penal action, after they are brought to the nearest authorised port, the Indian Coast Guard said.

But this time, they were ``back safely in Pakistan waters by day break'' after they were picked up around 3 am. They were warned and released, the Coast Guard said.

On an average, between 30 and 35 fishing vessels are spotted annually in the Indian maritime zone, and since 1991, a total of 68 fishing vessels with 781 crew members were spotted, intercepted and detained and brought ashore at various points along the Western Coast.

At this moment, 18 boats and their crew numbering approximately 200 are in Indian custody while this year, 16 fishing boats, along with 180 personnel working on them, were picked up for their violation of the international boundary.

Normally, the two countries exchange the boats and their crew.

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