Sri Lanka Navy arrests 14 Indian fishermen

THE SRI LANKAN Navy on Friday (7) said it arrested 14 Indian fishermen and seized a fishing boat for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters.

The Navy arrested the Indian fishermen during a special operation conducted in the sea area south of Mannar on Thursday night.

The seized boat and Indian fishermen were brought to the Talpadu Pier in Mannar and will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for onward legal proceedings, the Navy said in a statement.

The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen, the statement said.

Sri Lankan authorities on February 23 arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized 5 fishing boats for allegedly venturing into the country's territorial waters.

The Navy has so far this year arrested over 140 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

The Sri Lanka Navy said they arrested over 550 Indian fishermen in 2024.

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.

Stalin seeks action

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Friday (7) wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, apprising him of the latest arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka and sought effective steps for the release of all the detained fishermen and their fishing boats.

As on date, 227 Tamil Nadu fishing boats and 107 fishermen are still under the custody of Sri Lankan authorities, Stalin said.

He pointed out that the Sri Lankan authorities are now detaining fishermen for longer periods and imposing heavy fines for their release.

"Beyond the hardships of imprisonment, fines, and lost income during the detention period, fishermen are now facing an even greater loss of their economic livelihoods, as the Sri Lankan government is not returning their boats which are their sole means of economic support," Stalin said. (PTI)