Twenty-five Sri Lankan fishermen arrested for poaching off Nagapattinam and remanded in judicial custody were ordered to be released by the State government on Saturday.

The fishermen, along with their five boats, were intercepted by a Coast Guard ship about 48 nautical miles off Velankanni on February 9, and remanded by the Nagapattinam Judicial Magistrate’s court. They were lodged in the Puzhal Prison. Subsequently, their remand was extended up to March 25.

When contacted, Collector T. Munusamy told The Hindu that he had issued the order for the release of the fishermen and their boats on the advice of the government.

According to Coast Guard Commandant Udhal Singh, based on the orders of the district administration, the released fishermen are likely to be repatriated in two days. It is expected that their repatriation will be marked by a swap, with the remaining Indian fishermen released by Sri Lanka to be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard, ahead of the scheduled bilateral talks between the fisherfolk of the two countries on March 25. The exchange is likely to take place on Monday.