The Sri Lanka Navy arrested four Indian fishermen from Rameswaram in the early hours of April 14 for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing illegally in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar.
The arrest came just hours before the commencement of the annual 61-day fishing ban, suggesting the fishermen may have been attempting a final outing before the seasonal closure. Their mechanised boat was also seized.
The group had set out from Rameswaram fishing harbour in Tamil Nadu and was intercepted by naval patrols in the northern waters off Mannar. The arrested fishermen and the boat were taken to the naval camp in Mannar for further legal proceedings, according to Ada Derana citing The New Indian Express.
Pattern of Arrests Continues
The incident marks the third such arrest in less than a week. On April 12, the navy arrested 12 Indian fishermen off Jaffna, while 10 fishermen were apprehended on April 9 in a separate operation. The escalating frequency of arrests points to intensified Sri Lanka Navy patrols in the final days before the seasonal ban.
The illegal fishing issue remains a persistent source of tension in India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, with Sri Lankan authorities maintaining they must protect territorial waters and fish stocks from encroachment by Indian trawlers.
