IntelScoops

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Navy has apprehended 14 Indian fishermen in two separate overnight operations for allegedly entering Sri Lankan territorial waters and conducting illegal fishing activities — an issue that continues to test diplomatic and maritime relations between Colombo and New Delhi.

Navy Spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath confirmed that the first group of 10 fishermen was intercepted late last night off the coast of Battalangunduwa, in the Puttalam district. The suspects were reportedly engaged in unauthorized fishing when naval patrol units moved in. Their vessel was seized and has been taken into naval custody for further examination.

In a second incident, which unfolded near Kachchativu Island in the Jaffna region — another sensitive maritime boundary point — four more Indian fishermen were arrested. Both operations were conducted during routine nighttime patrols by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Authorities say the arrested fishermen are currently being held for questioning, and their cases will be handed over to the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources for legal proceedings.

The issue of illegal fishing by Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters has long been a point of contention. Fishermen, particularly from Tamil Nadu, have repeatedly been caught trespassing into Sri Lanka’s rich northern fishing grounds, often using bottom-trawling techniques banned in Sri Lanka due to their damaging impact on marine ecosystems.

Sri Lankan officials say that these intrusions not only violate the country’s sovereignty but also threaten the livelihoods of local northern fishermen who depend heavily on coastal and lagoon-based fisheries.

Despite several rounds of bilateral talks and joint working groups, a permanent resolution to the maritime border violations and sustainable fishing practices in the shared waters has remained elusive.

The Sri Lankan Navy continues to step up surveillance operations in disputed waters, especially around Kachchativu, a small island ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974, which remains a flashpoint in Indo-Lanka fishing tensions.