Sri Lanka Navy ship SLNS Samudura has escorted the local multi-day fishing vessels that were washed-away to Indonesian sea area due to cyclone Amphan back to island’s waters. Although the fishing community has been warned of the brewing cyclone Amphan southeast of the Bay of Bengal, more than 50 Sri Lankan multi-day fishing trawlers were fishing in the IMBL, about 400 and 500 nautical miles off the shores and some of these vessels were swept towards Indonesia, due to the impact of the storm, the Navy said. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC), which operates under the Sri Lanka Navy, has notified the Indonesian-Rescue-Coordination-Center about the developing situation and as a result of that the distressed vessels were permitted to remain in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone. Meanwhile, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has informed the Navy that there were no fuel, food and water which required for the return of 36 of those vessels and there were mechanical faults in several vessels. In response to the request, the Navy on 21st May 2020 deployed one of its Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Samudura to render necessary assistance to the distressed fishing vessels. Subsequently, the naval vessel advised all fishing vessels to sail towards Sri Lanka, after establishing communications with all the distressed vessels. Accordingly, on 23rdMay 2020 SLNS Samudura first spotted the fleet of fishing trawlers swept away by the storm, about 550 nautical miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. Over the next two days, the naval ship continued to provide food, water, fuel, medical aid and repair assistance to these vessels. The multi-day fishing trawlers had departed from Kudawella, Ambalangoda and Galle fisheries harbors between 18th April and 05th May 2020. Responding promptly to this eventuality, the Navy managed to safely bring all these vessels and all the fishermen of these vessels to waters just off the Sri Lankan coast.