Pakistan apprehends 40 Indian fishermen off Gujarat coast

Ahmedabad: The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MSA) has apprehended at least 40 Indian fishermen and seized seven of their boats near Jakhau port off the Gujarat coast in the early hours on Friday, according to the National Fishworkers' Forum.

"The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency apprehended at least 40 Indian fishermen along with 7 of their boats near Jakhau port off the Gujarat coast at Arabian sea late last night," Secretary of National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) Manish Lodhari told PTI.

Out of these seven boats, six had ventured into the sea from Okha port while one is registered in Porbandar, Lodhari claimed.

"Primary reports have revealed that all of them were captured near International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), as these fishermen may have crossed the line due to dense fog during early morning. There is a possibility that the count of seized boats and fishermen may rise," he said.

Since there are no physical markings in the sea, fishermen are dependent on the GPS system installed on their boats to find out their exact location in the sea and proximity with IMBL.

"However, GPS is not fitted in all the boats. Moreover, only latest GPS devices show the IMBL on the screen, while older such devices do not support that function. As a result, it is difficult for fishermen to determine their exact location, even if they have GPS facility," Lodhari said.