Rameswaram: The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 21 fishermen and seized 2 of their boats. president of the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, N Devadass said this.
N Devadass said that more than 480 boats went to sea from Rameswaram to catch fish on yesterday. While they were fishing in the Palkbay sea area between Appadeevu and Nedundeevu, the Sri Lankan navy came and apprehended all the 21 fishermen and confiscated their boats. Fishermen claimed that they had come to fish from across the border, and the Sri Lankan Navy took them to the Kangesanturai naval base for investigation.
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The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the 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’s territorial waters. The Palk Strait, which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries. There have been periodic instances of Indian fishermen being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters. 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.
In January, as many as 36 Indian fishermen were arrested by Sri Lanka. In 2023, Sri Lankan Navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen along with 35 trawlers for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
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