Twenty Indian fishermen from the Qatif area in the Eastern Province who were stranded in Qatar after entering Qatari territorial waters were released on Wednesday evening after their sponsor was made to pay fines to Qatari Coast Guard authorities. On April 5, five fishing boats with 20 fishermen from Qatif crossed into the territorial waters of Qatar by accident and were detained by Qatari authorities. They were then brought to Doha, the capital city, and anchored there. The Indian embassy in Qatar and the Indian Community Benevolent Fund (ICBF) were immediately informed by the Coast Guard about the plight of the fishermen and contacted the fishermen's sponsor to arrange for their immediate release. ICBF organizers also provided food, diesel, clothes and other items to the detained fishermen. Currently there is one more boat detained in Qatar. The boat was bound for Bahrain and was seized on April 6 for the same reason. This is the second time this year that Qatar has detained fishermen from Saudi Arabia for crossing the border. The Indian Embassy in Qatar is trying to find a permanent solution to the issue, sources at the embassy said.
