Colombo: Four Indian fishermen have been arrested, and their trawler seized for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the island nation’s Navy said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka’s North Central Naval Command, in a statement, said it spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaged in fishing activities in the Sri Lankan waters and deployed personnel to drive them away from the island’s waters off Mannar Monday.
“A compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of the Indian fishing boat and apprehension of four Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters,” the statement said.
So far this year, 18 trawlers and 128 Indian fishermen have been arrested for poaching in Sri Lankan waters, according to the Navy.
At least 12 Indian fishermen were arrested, and their trawler was confiscated April 11.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.
