Chennai, Mar 10 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin today urged External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to take steps to secure the release of five fishermen from State and three from Kerala, who were arrested by the Indonesian Sea and Air police and Seychelles authorities. In a Demi-Official letter to Dr Jaishankar, he sought his personal intervention in this matter and requested him to take this up with the Indonesian and Seychelles authorities to secure the immediate release of the fishermen and their fishing boats. Drawing his attention to the recent incidents of arrest of fishermen by authorities in Indonesia and Seychelles, Stalin said it has been reported that five fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu, along with three fishermen from Kerala were apprehended by the Indonesian Air and Sea Police for allegedly entering into the Indonesian waters and were taken to Ditpolairud Pier, Aceh, Indonesia for legal proceedings. The fishermen had ventured for fishing on February 17 in an Andaman registered fishing vessel, IND-AN-SA-MM-2110. It was also learnt through fishermen associations that 33 fishermen and three mechanised fishing boats bearing registration numbers IND-TN-15-MM-5501, IND-TN-15-MM-7998 and IND-TN-15-MM-5468 had ventured out from Cochin Harbour on February 22 and March 7 and were apprehended by the Seychelles Authority for allegedly entering into Seychelles waters. “I request your personal intervention in this matter and request you to take this up with the Indonesian and Seychelles authorities so as to secure the immediate release of the fishermen and their fishing boats”, he said. GV 1305