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.
The fishermen, who are natives of Kanyakumari district, had sailed in a mechanised boat from Wakrah on January 17 for fishing in Qatari waters.
They were arrested on January 19 by the Abu Dhabi Coast Guard for allegedly crossing into their territorial waters, it was explained in the statement.
The fishermen are currently housed in an army camp in Abu Dhabi, according to SAFF. Fr C Churchill, general secretary of SAFF, has sought the intervention of the authorities concerned for securing the release of the fishermen.
The arrested fishermen are Sahaya Minu Stephin (24), Maria John (60), Jeginson Gunaseelan (23), Anandh John Bosco, (35), Johnson Chinnappan (47), Arunsingh Ramseyan (31) and Jerome Mellus (57), the SAFF statement added.
