17 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy for alleged illegal fishing

Colombo: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 17 Indian fishermen and seized their trawlers for allegedly poaching in its territorial waters, taking the number of Indian nationals apprehended this year by the island nation in such incidents to 413, an official statement said.

The fishermen were arrested, and their two trawlers were seized north of Mannar on Sunday, the Sri Lanka Navy said in a press release.

The navy conducted the "special operation" leading to the apprehension of the Indian fishermen, it said.

The 17 apprehended fishermen were escorted to the Talaimannar Pier and will be handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Inspector for further action, it said.

The Sri Lankan Navy has "held 55 Indian fishing boats and 413 Indian fishermen in island waters thus far in 2024 and handed them over to authorities for legal action," the statement said.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

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