The Sri Lankan navy arrested thirteen individuals from Vadamarachchi East, Jaffna, on 15 April, accusing them of engaging in illegal fishing activities off the coast of Kattaikadu.
As part of an intensified coastal and maritime patrol operation, naval personnel based in Vettilaikeni apprehended ten fishermen during the morning hours, along with four boats and associated fishing equipment. The navy claimed the arrests were made in connection with "stealth fishing" practices.
Later that night, three additional individuals were arrested while harvesting sea cucumbers, with their vessel also seized by the authorities.
The arrested fishers and confiscated equipment have been handed over to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Jaffna for further legal proceedings.
In a statement following the operation, the Sri Lankan navy unit in Vettilaikeni warned that enforcement against "illegal bottom trawling and other prohibited fishing methods" would continue across the region.
The arrests come amid ongoing tensions between Tamil fishing communities and Sri Lankan state forces. Tamil fishers across the North-East have long complained of harassment, militarised control over coastal areas, and discriminatory enforcement practices.
While illegal fishing remains a serious concern, Tamil fishing groups have repeatedly called for community-led regulatory approaches rather than militarised crackdowns, warning that heavy-handed tactics further marginalise local livelihoods already devastated by decades of war, displacement, and economic neglect.
The Sri Lankan military’s continued presence in the North-East, including its control over key economic sectors such as fishing and agriculture, remains a major point of contention for Tamils, who view it as part of the broader militarisation and structural discrimination that persists across the Tamil homeland.
