India releases pics of Bangladeshi sailors, trawlers held for ‘unauthorised fishing’

The Indian Coast Guard has released photos of two Bangladeshi fishing trawlers along with 78 crew who were apprehended Monday afternoon, allegedly for intruding into the Indian waters to conduct unauthorised fishing.

In a post on their official Facebook page on Tuesday (10 December) night, the Indian Coast Guard shared a total of three photos and said the vessels were taken to Paradip for legal proceedings.

One of the photos shows the detained Bangladeshi sailors kneeling on the deck of a vessel, their hands placed behind their heads, with Indian Coast Guard members standing behind them. Another image depicts two Bangladeshi trawlers sailing in the open sea, while the third captures the vessels being escorted to a jetty.

The trawlers FV Meghna-5 is owned by C&A Agro Limited, based in Chattogram, while the FV Laila-2 is operated by SR Fishing, owned by Siddiqur Rahman, also from Chattogram.

On Monday, the trawler owners reported the vessels were seized from the waters near the fairway buoy adjacent to Heron Point, close to Khulna's Mongla Port. The location is very close to the Bangladesh maritime border with India.

Confusions over number of crew 

In written complaints submitted to the Directorate of Marine Fisheries, the owners stated that FV Meghna-5 had 37 sailors on board, while FV Laila-2 carried 42 fishermen.

However, the Indian authorities are acknowledging only 78 crew members, with 41 from FV Laila-2 and 37 on FV Meghna-5.

"The sailors of the detained trawlers are in contact with the owners. The latest information indicates that both trawlers are being towed to Odisha, India. However, we are still unclear about the reason behind their capture," Ansarul Haque, operations manager of C&A Agro Limited, said on Wednesday (11 December).

Confirming the seizure, Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam, managing director of the Directorate of Shipping, said, "The trawlers were reportedly detained in Indian waters. Relevant government agencies, including the coast guard, are actively communicating with Indian authorities to resolve the matter."

Lt Commander Khandaker Munif Taqi, media officer at the coast guard headquarters, said, "We are aware of the situation and are gathering further information."

Sailors' organisations and trawlers' owners demanded immediate release of the captured fishermen and hoped that the government would take measures in this regard, reports UNB.

As of filing this report yesterday night, the detained sailors were yet to be released, leaving family members concerned.

Throughout Monday and much of Tuesday, the Indian media gave this story a total pass. It was only around Tuesday evening that it started appearing on some outlets, after PTI reported on the basis of a Coast Guard statement.

The PTI version of the seizure story is, however, significantly different from that of Bangladesh. 

It said the vessels – "FV Laila-2 and FV Meghna-5, were found engaged in unauthorised fishing activities in Indian waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), violating the international maritime laws and bilateral agreements."

It also said approximately 160 tonnes of fish were found in the two vessels. Subsequently, the vessels and the crew members were taken to Paradip in Odisha for "further investigation". 

The two vessels were also booked under the Maritime Zones of India Act, 1981, said the PTI report.