Sri Lanka allegedly arrests seven Indians for fishing in its waters

Reuters:  Sri Lankan Navy has allegedly arrested seven Indian fishermen and seized two fishing trawlers for illegally fishing in its territorial waters, a fisherman claimed on Tuesday (20 December).

The trawlers were allegedly poaching in the waters off Delft Island in Palk Strait, which separates the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka.

India shares an expansive oceanic border with Sri Lanka without any perceptible demarcation and fishermen on both sides ignore rules while netting their catch.

“They arrested seven fishermen and seized two boats. We request the Central Government to immediately take action on this and ensure that no interference takes place while fishing,” said a fisherman in Rameswaram.

Fishermen from both countries frequently stray into each other’s territory and end up spending years in jails.

An 11-member delegation of Sri Lankan fishermen arrived in New Delhi in November for talks with their Indian counterparts on resolving all issues related to fishing.

The Governments of India and Sri Lanka subsequently agreed to set up a hotline between the coast guards and a Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries to meet every three months in a bid to address the long-pending issue.