Sri Lanka arrests 23 Indian fishermen for poaching in island nation

In January this year, Sri Lanka arrested as many as 36 Indian fishermen.

Colombo:

The Sri Lankan navy has arrested 23 Indian fishermen and seized two trawlers suspected of poaching in the island nation’s waters, according to an official statement from Sri Lanka.

The fishermen were arrested and their two trawlers were seized north of Delft Island in Jaffna on Saturday, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a news release on Sunday.

The 23 arrested fishermen and their two trawlers have been escorted to Kankesanthurai port and will be handed over to the Mailadi fisheries inspector for further action, the statement said.

The Sri Lankan Navy conducted a special operation in Sri Lankan waters on the night of February 3, 2024, to expel the Indian poaching trawler from Sri Lankan waters. The operation resulted in the seizure of two Indian trawlers and the arrest of 23 Indian nationals for poaching in northern waters. The statement said it was located near Delft Island in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The Navy conducts regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers, taking into account the impact of these practices on the livelihoods of local fishermen.

Continuing these efforts, the Northern Naval Command deployed fast attack boats belonging to the Navy and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to drive away a group of Indian trawlers that were spotted fishing illegally in Sri Lankan waters on Saturday.

The fishermen issue is a contentious issue in the relations between India and Sri Lanka. In many incidents of alleged illegal entry into Sri Lankan territorial waters, Sri Lankan naval personnel even fired at Indian fishermen and seized their boats in the Palk Strait.

The Palk Strait, a narrow body of water that separates Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Incidents of Indian fishermen being arrested by Sri Lankan authorities on suspicion of crossing the international maritime boundary line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters have occurred.

In January this year, Sri Lanka arrested as many as 36 Indian fishermen.

In 2023, the island nation’s navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen and 35 trawlers on suspicion of poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

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