The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 25 Indian fishermen and seized their two trawlers in international waters near Point Pedro town. The fishermen, hailing from Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district in Puducherry, were allegedly engaged in ‘illegal poaching’ and were detained during a special operation on Saturday night.
The Sri Lankan Navy emphasized their commitment to regular patrols and operations in their waters to curb illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers. They highlighted the impact of such practices on the livelihoods of local fishermen and the marine resources of the country, as stated in an official press release.
The detained Indian fishermen were taken to the Kankasanthurai harbor and will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for further legal action. Concerns have been raised by the fishermen’s relatives, urging both the central and state governments to intervene and secure the release of the detained individuals and their two trawlers.
In a related development, last month, Sri Lankan authorities released 27 Indian fishermen who returned to Chennai airport on separate days. This incident follows the arrest of 64 fishermen in October, belonging to Rameshwaram and Mandapam, for alleged cross-border fishing along with their boats and fishing nets.
The Sri Lankan Navy reported that, so far in 2023, they have apprehended a total of 33 Indian trawlers and 220 Indian fishermen. The recurring arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have been a source of concern for both the Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led central government.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the issue by writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in October, emphasizing the repeated arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen and urging the protection of their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay region.
The matter was also discussed during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier in the year, where a humane approach was emphasized in addressing the livelihood concerns of fishermen.
