Sri Lankan Navy arrests 9 Indian fishermen near Talaimannar

Sri Lanka arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized a trawler, highlighting the continuing maritime dispute with India over fishing rights.

The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized their trawler for allegedly fishing illegally in the island nation’s waters near Talaimannar after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The fishermen were apprehended during an operation after over 50 Indian trawlers were allegedly found fishing in Sri Lankan waters south of Iranativu. The arrested fishermen and their boat have been handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for legal proceedings.

The arrests come amid continuing tensions over the long-standing fishermen dispute between India and Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lankan Navy, 128 Indian fishermen have been arrested and 18 trawlers seized so far this year over alleged poaching.

The dispute centres on Indian fishermen, particularly from Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram coast, crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters near Talaimannar and Katchatheevu in search of richer fish stocks.

During Sri Lanka’s civil war, enforcement in these waters was relatively lax, allowing Indian trawlers to fish with few arrests. However, after the war ended in 2009, Sri Lanka stepped up maritime patrols, leading to frequent arrests as Indian fishermen continued crossing the boundary amid declining fish catches on the Indian side.

The Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, remains a recurring flashpoint, with fishermen from both countries frequently detained for inadvertently crossing maritime boundaries.

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The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized their trawler for allegedly fishing illegally in the island nation’s waters near Talaimannar after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The fishermen were apprehended during an operation after over 50 Indian trawlers were allegedly found fishing in Sri Lankan waters south of Iranativu. The arrested fishermen and their boat have been handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for legal proceedings.

The arrests come amid continuing tensions over the long-standing fishermen dispute between India and Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lankan Navy, 128 Indian fishermen have been arrested and 18 trawlers seized so far this year over alleged poaching.

The dispute centres on Indian fishermen, particularly from Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram coast, crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters near Talaimannar and Katchatheevu in search of richer fish stocks.

During Sri Lanka’s civil war, enforcement in these waters was relatively lax, allowing Indian trawlers to fish with few arrests. However, after the war ended in 2009, Sri Lanka stepped up maritime patrols, leading to frequent arrests as Indian fishermen continued crossing the boundary amid declining fish catches on the Indian side.

The Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, remains a recurring flashpoint, with fishermen from both countries frequently detained for inadvertently crossing maritime boundaries.