Forty-seven Indian fishermen were arrested and five of their boats seized off Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, the Sri Lankan Navy said here. They are accused of illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters. The arrests were made during coordinated patrol operations conducted in the maritime areas of Mannar and Delft.
The Navy said the 47 arrested fishermen and their equipment would be handed over to the Fisheries Inspectorate office in the north for further action. Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath told PTI that the naval operation to arrest them began late last night and continued till early Thursday morning. Bha
The issue of fishermen remains controversial in Sri Lanka bilateral relations. Even Sri Lankan Navy personnel have fired on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seized their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan waters. Last month also, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat confiscated near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.