Sri Lanka Navy arrests 22 Indian fishermen for suspected illegal fishing – JURIST

Sri Lanka's navy on Saturday arrested 22 Indian fishermen for suspected illegal fishing in the island nation's waters and seized three fishing boats. The fishermen were arrested in the North Sea near the Delft Islands during a search operation on Saturday evening.

Navy spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said the arrested fishermen would be taken to the Kankesanturai fishing port for further legal proceedings. Last week, in another incident, four Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler seized by the Sri Lankan navy for suspected poaching in the island nation's waters.

Tamil Nadu fisheries officials said the arrested fishermen were from the coastal areas of Rameswaram, Mandapam and Thangachimadam in Ramanathapuram district. Following the arrests, Tamil Nadu fishermen announced they would go on strike in protest.

The issue of fishermen crossing territorial waters is a long-standing dispute between India and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Navy says it has arrested 204 fishermen and seized 27 trawlers in 2024 for suspected illegal fishing, including this incident. These figures represent almost 75 percent of the approximately 240 to 245 similarly detained in 2023.

The majority of incidents occur in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from the northern tip of Sri Lanka, which provides a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries. The Ministry of Fisheries of Sri Lanka said that the issue of alleged illegal fishing by Indians would be discussed with Indian Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar during his visit to Sri Lanka on June 20, 2024. This statement is came from the ministry after the arrest. of four Indian fishermen.