Chennai, The National Fisherfolk Forum (NFF) on Tuesday urged the Central and Tamil Nadu government to take steps to bring back 400 fishermen from the state stranded in Andaman.

In a statement issued here NFF Chairperson M. Ilango said: "About 400 Tamil fishermen from six districts of Tamil Nadu who had been staying in Andaman and fishing from there on the local boats are stranded after the announcement of lockdown and are suffering even without any food."

He said the Central and the state governments should make the necessary action to ensure they reach home safe.

"It had been the practice in the recent years that some of the fishermen from the six Tamil Nadu districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramnad, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore would reach Andaman Islands and would stay for some months and fish in the boats of the islands and return home in April," Ilango said.

He said, as in the past this year too, they were planning to reach home in the month of April but were held up due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

He said the Central government, the administration of Andaman Union Territory and the Government of Tamil Nadu should together make all efforts to make it possible.