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.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar following the arrest. “I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended. The fishing community continues to face hardships due to the recurrent arrests” he said.
The apprehension has been carried out during a regular patrol conducted by the navy in the northern waters on Friday (23).
The seized trawler together with 11 Indian fishermen have been brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings, according to Sri Lanka Navy.
With this recent apprehension, the Navy has seized a total of 45 Indian trawlers and 333 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters in 2024, and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings, the navy added.
