Qatar has released 22 Indian fishermen held at Al Khore jail on charges of straying off the international maritime border from Bahrain. They have left for Bahrain after the release.

These fishermen in seven boats were arrested off the coast of Qatar at Al Ruwais on October 7. All of them were employed with a fishing company in Bahrain and were released after the company paid the requisite fine amount to the Qatar authorities. The fishermen’s representatives and their lawyer had met them in jail on 13 days ago. They said that the Indian fishermen were innocent in nature and they never involved in activities other than fishing after crossing the International Boundary Line.

29 other Indian fishermen are in Iranian jail since October 11 for crossing the Qatar border and entering into Iran seas due to rough weather. These fishermen are from Tamilnadu and Kerala. The Indian embassy officials in Iran have met the fishermen in jail and provided consular access to them.

Around 10,000 Indian fishermen have been engaged in fishing in the gulf countries like Qatar, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Among them, 95 per cent were from Kanyakumari. Since the territorial borders in the sea were very close in the Gulf countries, very often the fishermen were happened to cross the border. The straying off the coast also happens sometimes because of water current and the change in wind direction. It is not possible to control either the water current or wind direction, and on many occasions its also not easy to control the operation of boats.