The Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and arrested four fishermen for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters off the north of Mannar on April 15, the first day of the annual 61-day fishing ban.
Naval personnel conducted a compliant boarding operation and apprehended the fishermen, who were continuing to poach despite the ban that came into effect on April 15. The seized vessel and fishermen have been handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Kilinochchi for legal proceedings.
The incident marks the second consecutive day of Indian fisherman arrests in Sri Lankan territorial waters. On April 14, four Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested off Mannar on the eve of the ban’s enforcement.
Sri Lanka’s Navy has maintained an active patrol posture in northern waters, with 10 Indian fishermen arrested on April 9 and 12 more on April 12 in separate operations off Jaffna.
The 61-day seasonal fishing ban is designed to protect marine biodiversity during the breeding season. Cross-border poaching by Indian trawlers remains a persistent bilateral friction point between Colombo and New Delhi, with Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector also navigating the impact of a newly approved Cabinet fuel subsidy aimed at easing operational costs for local fishermen.
