Pakistan had arrested 49 fishermen off the coast of Gujarat on September 15, Vijay Rupani said.
Gandhinagar:
The Pakistan Maritime Safety Agency (PMSA) arrested 49 fishermen and seized eight boats off the coast of Gujarat on September 15, the state government told the legislature on Monday.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told the House that the fishermen were arrested by the PMSA near the international maritime border.
He said six of the eight boats came from Porbandar, while two more came from Gir Somnath district.
Such incidents have occurred at regular intervals, as the maritime border is fictitious – not visible – in the sea, he said.
Mr Rupani, who manages the Home portfolio, was responding to a question raised by Congressman Punja Vansh regarding the incident.
Home Secretary Pradeepsinh Jadeja said the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) regularly issues warnings to fishermen if they approach the IMBL in search of a better catch.
Based on reports from the ICG, the state fisheries department is suspending the licenses to operate boats of stray fishermen found guilty of venturing into the no-fishing zone in the Arabian Sea after went through IMBL, he said.
The state government is giving a grant of Rs 20,000 to fishermen to install a GPS system in their boats, Jadeja said.
He said the GPS system had been installed in 5,000 of the 30,000 registered fishing vessels in Gujarat.
