Sri Lanka detains 32 Indian fishermen suspected of poaching in island nation

The fishermen issue is a contentious issue in India-Sri Lanka relations (Representative)

Colombo:

At least 32 Indian fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy off the Talaimannar coast and Delft Island on Wednesday for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s waters, the highest number of fishermen arrested in a single day this year.

The navy seized two Indian trawlers and seven fishermen near Talaimannar, an official statement said, adding that naval personnel also seized three other Indian trawlers and 25 fishermen near Delft Island. Indian fisherman.

Two Indian trawlers and 7 fishermen were brought to Talaimannar jetty and three Indian trawlers and 25 Indian fishermen were brought to Kankasanthurai port. They will be handed over to fisheries inspectors in Mannar and Meradi for subsequent legal proceedings, the statement said.

So far in 2024, the navy has seized 23 Indian trawlers and 178 Indian fishermen in island waters and handed them over to authorities for legal action.

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.

Fishermen from both countries are regularly arrested for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.

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

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)