Sri Lanka today released all 126 Indian fishermen in its custody as a Diwali goodwill gesture. Sri Lanka's Attorney General issued the release order for 120 Indian fishermen in the morning and for remaining 6 in the afternoon. The fishermen were then produced before local magistrates after the Fisheries department withdrew cases against them.<br/><br/>The repatriation of the fishermen may however take a couple of days even as logistics is being worked out by Sri Lankan Navy who will hand them over to the Indian Coast Guard at the International Maritime border.<br/> <br/>After weeks of negotiations between Indian and Sri Lankan officials, the 126 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody were finally freed today to return to the country. Efforts are on to repatriate them by Wednesday so that they can be with their families for Deepawali.<br/><br/>The fishermen of the two countries are routinely rounded up by the two Navies as they cross the maritime boundary for better catch. Both governments have been trying to find a lasting solution to the problem by engaging with the fishermen associations. <br/><br/>India has maintained that the issue has to be handled with sensitivity as it involves the livelihood of poor fishing communities, while Sri Lanka has called for an immediate ban on the practice of bottom trawling which destroys the coastal marine ecosystem.