32 Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lanka Navy for alleged poaching

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

At least 32 Indian fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday off the coast of Talaimannar and near the islet of Delft in the northern province for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s waters, an official statement said. The Navy held two Indian trawlers along with 7 fishermen off Talaimannar, it said, adding that naval personnel also seized three more Indian trawlers and held 25 Indian fishermen off the Delft Island.

The two Indian trawlers along with 7 fishermen were brought to the Talaimannar Pier while three Indian trawlers and 25 Indian fishermen were brought to Kankasanthurai harbour. They will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspectors of Mannar and Mailadi for onward legal proceedings, the statement said. The Navy has so far held 23 Indian trawlers and 178 Indian fishermen in island waters thus far in 2024, and handed them over to authorities for legal action, it added.

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. In 2023, the island nation’s Navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen along with 35 trawlers for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.