At least 34 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in two separate incidents on Sunday. The officials also seized three trawling boats used for illegal fishing as well.
According to the Navy, the fishermen have been arrested for illegal fishing in two separate incidents on January 25 and 26.
The Ramanathapuram Fisheries Department said that the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended three boats owned by Sachin of Rameswaram, Deniyl, and Rubildan of Thangachimadam for violating the IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line).
Earlier, the Indian High Commission said that around 41 Indian fishermen who had been similarly arrested for poaching in Sri Lankan waters were sent back to their countries.
On January 12, eight Indian fishermen were arrested and two fishing trawlers were seized.
Fishermen's associations condemned the ongoing arrests and urged the union government to take action to release the fishermen without imposing massive penalties.
Accidental arrests along the Palk Strait, which divides both countries, have been common as the area is a productive fishing spot. Over alleged incidents of illegally entering each other’s territorial waters, frequent arrests were made by both nations.
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 illegal fishing.
In 2024, the island nation's Navy arrested 529 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. While in 2025, over 50 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Navy for illegal fishing.
