18 Indian fishermen arrested for suspected illegal fishing in Sri Lanka | News from India

Navy spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said the arrested fishermen would be taken to the Kankesanturai fishing port for further legal proceedings.

Last week, four Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler seized by the Sri Lankan navy for alleged poaching in the island's waters.

Before the latest incident, more than 180 Indian fishermen had been arrested and 25 of their trawlers seized in 2024 for suspected illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, Sri Lankan officials said.

These figures represent almost 75 percent of the approximately 240 to 245 similarly detained in 2023.

Most of these incidents occur in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from the northern tip of Sri Lanka, a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

The fishermen issue is a contentious issue in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Sri Lankan naval personnel sometimes even shooting Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for illegal entry into territorial waters from Sri Lanka.