18 Indians arrested for fishing in Lanka waters

Colombo, June 23

As many as 18 Indian fishermen were arrested for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation’s waters by the Sri Lankan Navy and three fishing vessels were seized, a media report said on Sunday.

The fishermen were arrested from the North Sea near Delft Islands during a search operation conducted Saturday night, news portal The News First reported.

Navy spokesperson Capt Gayan Wickramasuriya said the arrested fishermen would be taken to Kankesanturai fishing harbour for further legal proceedings.

Last week, four Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler seized by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly poaching in the island nation’s waters.

Before the latest incident, more than 180 Indian fishermen had been arrested and 25 of their trawlers seized in 2024 for alleged illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters.

Most of these incidents happen in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka’s northern tip, a rich fishing ground.