Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended nine Indian fishermen and confiscated two trawlers for purportedly engaging in poaching within the nation’s territorial waters.
According to an official statement released by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday, the arrests were made near Delft Island, Jaffna. The fishermen, from Tamil Nadu, were apprehended on Monday.
The Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement, “The Sri Lanka Navy and coast guard conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters on the night of July 24.
“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 said.
It further noted that the seized trawlers together with Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.
The statement further said, the Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers,
During this month, there have been two separate incidents of Indian fishermen being arrested in Sri Lankan waters. On July 9, the Sri Lankan Navy detained 15 Indian fishermen aboard two trawlers for allegedly poaching within the country’s territorial waters. This ongoing issue of fishermen’s arrests has been a source of contention in the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.
Numerous reported occurrences have raised concerns over the actions of Sri Lankan Navy personnel, including instances of firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and confiscating their boats. The Palk Strait, a narrow waterway that separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, holds significant fishing resources and attracts fishermen from both nations.
Over time, there have been intermittent situations where Indian fishermen were arrested by Sri Lankan authorities on allegations of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing within Sri Lankan waters.
The persistent issue of Indian fishermen engaging in illegal fishing within Sri Lankan waters remains unresolved, despite numerous high-level talks between the two sides.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Updated: 26 Jul 2023, 07:05 AM IST
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