Foreign vessel rams into Kanyakumari based fishing vessel

Nine crew members of a Kannyakumari fishing vessel were thrown off into the Arabian Sea on February 27th after a ship with a Hong Kong flag allegedly rammed the vessel.

 An official from the fisheries department said they had passed on the information to the Indian Coast Guard and other authorities. Rescue efforts are on to save the fishermen.

Whether the fishermen were saved and action taken against the Hong Kong vessel by the coastguards is not immediately known.

Kannyakumari district-based fishermen coordination center secretary Johnson said the fishing vessel named Ruby from Thoothoor ventured into the sea from Thengapattinam fishing harbour on February 11 with nine crew members.

"On February 27th, while the fishermen were involved in hook and line fishing around 300 nautical miles off Kerala's Kannur coast, a ship with a Hong Kong flag rammed the vessel. All nine fishermen fell into the sea owing to the impact. The fishing vessel also began to sink. Boats in the vicinity were alerted and they all reached the spot for rescue efforts.

In most of the hit and run cases the ships which damage the fishermen boats off the Indian coasts are allowed to leave scot free according fishermen association sources.