Fishermen and their families took to the streets in Taiwan Tuesday against what they said was an unfair crackdown on the industry which has been accused of illegal practices and human rights abuses.

The worst floods in a century in Kerala have killed hundreds of people, left dozens missing and about a million sheltering in temporary camps.

The young contestants rose to the challenges, especially against the strong winds and the heavy rains that started to pour on the second day of their sea journey.

News of the rescue comes several days after the arrival in Malaysia of another boat carrying dozens of members of the persecuted minority from Myanmar.

Seven Qatar-based fishermen, all from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, have been apprehended by the UAE coastguards, according to a statement from the South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF), received in Doha.

More than 1600 people had been shifted from low-lying areas in and around the city of Surat to safer places, NDTV news channel reported. Rescue and relief teams remained stationed along the coast.

Cyclone Ockhi, which battered parts of southern India and left at least 25 people dead, was expected to make landfall in the west of the country over the next 24 hours, the Meteorological Department said on Monday.

The cyclone brought high-speed winds and heavy rains to the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states on the mainland before moving towards the Lakshadweep archipelago off the south-west coast of India.

"It may take at least one more month before we return to our activities in full swing," an elder member of the country's expatriate fishermen community said.

Indonesian authorities will free 690 Vietnamese fishermen who were detained for illegal fishing, officials told dpa Thursday.

The Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) has completed the renovation of the Al Wakrah Harbour within budget and on schedule, which will help meet the needs of fishermen and boat owners utilising the facility.

Pakistan has arrested at least 100 Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in its waters, officials said on Sunday. The Maritime Security Agency (MSA) made the arrests on Saturday night, and also impounded 19 wooden boats.