Kochi: Nine Indian fishermen, who undertook a perilous voyage from Yemen to flee from their sponsor, were released on Sunday. Their arrival, in Kochi port on November 28, was made possible due to the timely intervention of the Coast Guard. They were cleared after regular immigration check-up.
The Coast Guard had rescued the fishermen who fled Yemen in a fishing vessel after being harassed by their sponsor in the Middle East nation. A Kanyakumari based NGO - South Asian Fishermen Fraternity - in Tamil Nadu has informed the Coast Guard about the nine Indian fishermen in distress at sea.
The fishermen, seven from Tamil Nadu and two from Kerala, were working in Yemen for a sponsor, who had hired them for fishing in his mechanised fishing trawler.
The sponsor had not paid them and was reluctant in providing them with basic amenities like food and shelter. So the fishermen decided to flee from Yemen to save their lives, the spokesman said in a release here.
On receipt of the message from the NGO, the Coast Guard contacted the wife of one of the fishermen from Kanyakumari district and learned that her husband had contacted her at 5.30 AM on November 27 off Lakshadweep.
She informed them that the fishermen were heading back to Kochi and had very little fuel and rations. The boat was located 75 nautical miles off the Kochi coast and the crew were questioned to corroborate with the existing situation. All of them were reported to be safe and healthy.
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