Sri Lankan Navy arrests 6 Ramnad fishermen for alleged poaching

In yet another instance of Indian fishermen being detained and their boats and equipment being seized, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested six fishermen from Ramanathapuram for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters. This is the fourth such incident in this month alone, in which 29 fishermen from the State have been arrested and six boats were impounded.

The arrest happened in seas northwest of the Kovilan lighthouse in Jaffna during a patrol in the wee hours of Saturday, the Lankan Navy claimed in a statement. “Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian dhow with six Indian fishermen while poaching in Lankan waters,” it said. They were apprehended during a patrol carried out by a fast attack craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (4 FAF), attached to the Northern Naval Command in seas northwest of the Kovilan lighthouse, the Navy added.

According to its official statement, arrangements were being made to handover the fishermen and the boat to relevant authorities for onward legal action. At least 29 fishermen have been arrested so far this month and six boats have also been impounded, the Lankan authorities added.

Meanwhile, official sources in Tamil Nadu said the arrested fishermen hailed from Nambuthalai coastal village in Ramanathapuram, and added that they were arrested when they were fishing in high seas close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

On February 13, the Navy arrested 12 fishermen and seized two trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters. On February 8, 11 fishermen were arrested and three trawlers were seized, and 21 fishermen were arrested on February 1.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one between the two countries, which had figured in the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Lankan counterpart G L Peiris in New Delhi earlier this month.