2,000 country boats remain on shore

RAMANATHAPURAM: As many as 2,000 country boats remained at shore on Monday as part of the indefinite strike called by fishermen of Pamban and Thankatchimadam against the recent arrest of four fishermen for allegedly poaching a protected species.On Sunday, personnel of the Indian Coast Guard were on their routine patrol, when they came across some country boats fishing near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Upon inspection, the ICG personnel found 31 Spinner Sharks —a species protected under the Wild Life Act —from one of the boats.Four fishermen — Mohamed, Nazim, Naina Mohamed and Mohamed Magadeer — of Pamban, who were subsequently detained, were later lodged in prison on the charge of poaching the protected species.The country boat fishermen announced an indefinite strike against the arrest and hoisted black flags in their locality on Monday demanding the release of the arrested fishermen.