The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 more Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in the country’s waters, taking the total number of arrests this year to 333, an official release said.
In a press release, the Sri Lankan Navy said that on Friday, 11 Indian fishermen were arrested and their fishing boat was seized near Point Pedro coast in Jaffna Northern Province.
It said the arrested persons were brought to Kankesanthurai fishing harbour for further processing. With this, the number of Indians arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy this year has risen to 333 and the number of their vessels seized has risen to 45, according to the press release.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after the arrest of 11 more fishermen. He said, I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are happening at an alarming frequency.
In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. Fishermen in Tamil Nadu are facing immense hardships due to repeated arrests, which are seriously affecting their means of subsistence.
