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India and Sri Lanka discuss illegal fishing

After over to years, India and Sri Lanka’s Joint Working Group on Fisheries met to discuss the issues of illegal fishing which has devastated both sides of the Palk Straits.

The meeting followed protests by fishermen in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, against the arrest of Indian fishermen. Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to India’s Foreign Minister to demand the release of over 100 India fishermen who were taken into Sri Lankan custody. In his letter he highlights that reports of such incidents are on the rise. Reports of Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy often incidents of ill treatment and abuse.

Across 2024, Sri Lanka’s Navy is reported to have seized total of 61 Indian fishing boats and apprehended around 450 fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters. 

Read more here: Sri Lankan Navy detains more Indian fishermen as rift deepens

During the meeting, representatives of the two countries reportedly discussed joint patrols and the release of fishermen from both countries following completion of legal proceedings. Also discussed was the status of investigations into the deaths of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters.

The ongoing issue of fishing has also devastated Tamils across the North-East with many raising concerns over the impact bottom-trawling is having on their territory.

Read more here.

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