Colombo:The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 more Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters, taking the total number of arrests this year to 333, according to an official release.
On Friday, 11 Indian fishermen were arrested, and their trawler seized off the coast of Point Pedro in Jaffna in the northern province, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a press release. Those apprehended were brought to the Kankesanthurai fishing harbour for further action, it said.
With this, the number of Indians arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy this year has risen to 333, and their trawlers seized to 45, according to the press release. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar following the arrest of 11 more fishermen.
"I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishing community in Tamil Nadu continues to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests, which severely affect their means of subsistence," he said.
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.
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