04 Indian fishermen arrested for poaching in Sri Lankan waters

Sri Lanka Navy has apprehended 04 Indian fishermen along with an Indian fishing trawler for illegally poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

The interception was made during an operation conducted off the Kovilan Lighthouse, Jaffna yesterday (04).

Sri Lanka Navy says that they continue to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.

The SLN Northern Naval Command had spotted a cluster of Indian fishing trawlers engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

In response, Fast Attack Craft belonging to the Command were deployed to send away those Indian fishing trawlers poaching off the Kovilan Lighthouse.

The seized trawler together with 04 Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankasanthurei harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings, the navy said.

With this recent apprehension, the Navy has seized a total of 47 Indian trawlers and 345 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters in 2024, and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings.