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The Sri Lankan navy detained fourteen Indian fishermen and seized their trawler on Saturday night, after they claimed it was poaching in the waters off Analaitivu, an islet west of Jaffna.
According to a navy statement, the operation was carried out on the night of 9 November by the Northern Naval Command in coordination with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, after several Indian vessels were sighted. Naval craft were deployed to chase away the boats, before one vessel was intercepted and boarded.
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The navy claimed the arrests form part of “regular operations” intended to curb poaching. The detained boat and the fourteen fishermen have been handed over to the Fisheries Inspector in Myliddy for legal proceedings.
Arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen near the Palk Strait have long fuelled diplomatic tensions between India and Sri Lanka, as well as anger within the Tamil Nadu fishing community, who continue to report harassment, boat damage, and violence from Sri Lankan naval units.
