The Sri Lankan Navy said it has arrested 14 more Indian fishermen and seized two fishing trawlers for fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters. They were arrested on the coast of Mannar in the northeastern district on Wednesday.
Along with this arrest, 529 Indian fishermen have been arrested and 68 trawlers have been seized this year, according to the Navy.
On Monday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 18 Indian fishermen in the Vetilikerni area in the north.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met last month in which they stressed the importance of a long-term solution to the ongoing fishing dispute between the two nations.
Fishing is a contentious issue in relations between India and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
A narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, the Palk Strait is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries have been repeatedly arrested for unknowingly entering each other’s waters.
In 2023, the island nation’s navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters.