India officially protests death of fisherman in Sri Lankan waters

India on Thursday (01) lodged a strong protest with Sri Lanka over an alleged collision between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat that killed a fisherman and left another missing.

The India’s Ministry of External Affairs has called in Sri Lanka’s Acting High Commissioner to India Priyanga Wickremesinghe, on Thursday morning to register a protest over the incident, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The incident comes in the wake of a Sri Lankan Navy personnel being killed during an operation to seize an Indian fishing boat in July.

The collision was reported early on Thursday morning between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat at a location five nautical miles north of Katchatheevu island. “Out of the four Indian fishermen who were on board the vessel, one unfortunately lost his life, and another is missing,” the statement said.

Two of the fishermen were rescued and brought ashore to Kankesanthurai. A search is underway for the missing Indian fisherman.

Officials of the Indian consulate in Jaffna were directed to go to Kankesanthurai and extend all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families.

“The Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi was called in today morning to the Ministry of External Affairs and a strong protest was registered over the incident. We expressed our shock and anguish at the unfortunate loss of life,” the statement said.

India’s High Commissioner in Colombo, Santosh Jha, would also raise the matter with the Sri Lankan government later on Thursday, the statement added.

The Indian government has “always emphasised the need to deal with issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner”, it highlighted.

“Existing understandings between the two governments in that regard must be strictly observed. Utmost efforts should be made to ensure that there is no recurrence or resort to the use of force,” it added.

The Indian government said it attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian fishermen, and issues related to them have been raised regularly at the highest levels with the Sri Lankan leadership.

However, issuing a media release, Sri Lanka Navy stated that the incident took place after the Indian fishing boat which was illegally poaching in Sri Lankan waters capsized during an interception attempt.

Dozens of Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen are arrested by the two countries each year on charges of violating the maritime boundary or illegal fishing.

“Government of India has always emphasised the need to deal with issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner,” it added.

India’s MEA said that the “existing understandings” between the two governments must be strictly upheld. It said there is a need for the utmost efforts to prevent any recurrence or use of force.

“Government attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian fishermen,” it said, adding that it has raised the issue multiple times with Sri Lanka at the highest levels.

During a recent visit to India, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya also stressed the need to hold a discussion on the fishermen issue between Sri Lanka and India, emphasizing that both countries must look into this ‘long-lasting issue’ from a sustainable perspective.

--With inputs from agencies