On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized two trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters.
According to the Navy, the arrests were made near Jaffna’s Delft Island. The fishermen, from Tamil Nadu, were apprehended on Monday.
In a statement, the Sri Lankan Navy stated, “On the night of July 24, the Sri Lanka Navy and coast guard conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters”.
“The operation led to the apprehension of two Indian trawlers with nine Indian nationals poaching in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island, Jaffna”, the statement reads.
According to a Tamil Nadu fisheries official in Ramanathapuram, the fishermen from Mandapam in the Ramanathapuram district, set sail for fishing on Monday morning and were caught on Monday night between Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu.
“The seized trawlers, together with Indian fishermen were hauled to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and would be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for further legal proceedings”, the Navy’s statement continued.
The statement further stated, “The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers”.
During the Sri Lankan President’s visit to India last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ranil Wickremesinghe discussed the plight of fishermen.
“Today we also discussed the issues related to the livelihood of fishermen. We agree that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter”, PM Modi stated in a Press Statement on July 21.
This was the second detention of an Indian fishing boat in Sri Lankan waters this month.
The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 15 Indian fishermen aboard two trawlers on July 9 for reportedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters.
The fishermen’s issue is a source of contention between the two countries.
There have been multiple reported incidences of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen and seizing their boats in the Palk Strait.
The Palk Strait, a thin stretch of water separating Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, is a rich popular fishing spot for both countries.
Indian fishermen have been detained on several occasions by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly breaching the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan seas.
Despite numerous high-level negotiations between the two parties, illegal fishing by Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters has been a recurring issue.
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