Colombo: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested at least 15 Indian fishermen and seized their two trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters, an official statement said on Sunday. The fishermen were arrested on Saturday off Talaimannar, a settlement located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island, the Navy said in the statement. The fishermen, who remain in naval custody in Talaimannar, will be handed over to the fisheries inspector, it said.
Illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen has been a recurrent problem despite many high-level talks held between the two sides. The latest arrest came as Sri Lanka and India held talks on the international maritime boundary challenges between the two South Asian nations on board a Sri Lanka Naval craft. The 32nd international maritime boundary line meeting had discussed the roles of the two Navies and their coast guards, the Navy said.
