Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) Feb 3 (UNI) The Sri Lankan Navy on Monday apprehended 10 Indian fishermen and seized their mechanised fishing trawler allegedly for straying into the Sri Lankan territorial waters and indulging in illegal fishing activities.
Fisheries department officials said here that the fishermen, hailing from Thangachimadam fishing hamlet in Rameswaram, were apprehended by the Lankan navy when they were fishing in the Palk Bay close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the wee hours.
The fishermen had set sail into the sea from Mandapam South Fishing Harbour on Sunday morning for routine fishing activities.
The seized boat, together with arrested fishermen, will be handed over to the fisheries officials at Mannar for onwards legal proceedings.
With this, the Sri Lankan maritime forces arrested 75 Indian fishermen and seized eight Indian fishing trawlers so far this year.
In 2024 alone, the Sri Lankan navy apprehended 554 Indian fishermen, seized 72 Indian fishing boats, and initiated legal action against them.
It may be recalled that India lodged a strong protest over two Indian fishermen suffering serious injuries after a Sri Lankan Navy patrol team fired on them while attempting to apprehend 13 fishermen on charges of unlawful poaching in Lankan territorial waters on January 28, last.
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the firing on fishermen.
