Sri Lankan navy arrests 32 TN fishermen, seizes 5 boats
The fishermen set out to sea off Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district around 3 pm on Saturday.
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MADURAI/COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan navy on Saturday arrested as many as 32 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and seized five mechanised boats belonging to them for trespassing into the territorial waters of the island nation. The arrests were made near Neduntheevu.
The fishermen set out to sea off Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district around 3 pm on Saturday, after obtaining permit tokens from the Fisheries Department, sources said.
The navy said the arrested fishermen and their boats were brought to the Talaimannar Pier, where they will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for legal action.
Meanwhile, concerned by the “alarming rise” in the arrests of state’s fishermen, chief minister MK Stalin on Sunday wrote to External Affairs minister S Jaishankar, flagging the latest detention and urged the Centre to immediately convene the Joint Working Group to find a permanent solution to the issue.
According to a statement issued by the Sri Lankan navy, it has so far arrested 131 Indian fishermen this year and seized 18 fishing boats for allegedly poaching in the country’s waters. In 2024, it arrested 529 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
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.
In 2024, the island nation's Navy arrested 529 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
(inputs from PTI)
