The Sri Lanka Navy arrested ten Indian fishermen and seized their trawler during an overnight patrol on April 8 into April 9 for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, Navy Spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath confirmed on Thursday.
Commander Sampath said the fishermen were detained during a search operation in the northern waters off the island and that the vessel was taken into custody alongside the crew. The fishermen, their boat and their gear have been handed over for legal proceedings under Sri Lanka’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, which prohibits foreign vessels from fishing inside Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone without permits.
The arrests revive a long-running bilateral dispute over Indian trawlers operating in the Palk Strait, where Tamil Nadu fleets frequently cross the maritime boundary in search of richer catch. Past incidents have led to diplomatic exchanges between Colombo and New Delhi and, at times, to retaliatory arrests of Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian waters.
This latest incident comes just weeks after Sri Lanka repatriated 30 Indian fishermen under a humanitarian gesture and days after Bangladesh released six Sri Lankan crew members held in its waters. No injuries were reported during Thursday’s operation and the Navy said the case would proceed through the normal judicial and diplomatic channels.
