34 fishermen held by Sri Lankan Navy, 3 trawlers impounded

Sri Lankan Navy arrests 34 Indian fishermen from Rameswaram, impounds trawlers, sparking condemnation and calls for government intervention.

In a fresh incident of poaching charge, the Sri Lankan Navy personnel arrested 34 fishermen from Rameswaram and impounded three trawlers on Saturday (January 25, 2025) night.

According to the Fisheries Department officials, they had issued 439 tokens on Saturday (January 25, 2025) and the fishermen were expected to reach the shores in the early hours of Sunday (January 26).

Preliminary inquiries indicated that when they were engaged in fishing between Dhanushkodi and Mannar, the Sri Lankan Navy, under surveillance, secured the fishermen in the north of Mannar.

The names of the arrested fishermen were given as Regan (43), Christoper (33), Innasi Jenson (42) and 31 others.

According to a statement from the Sri Lanka Navy, they arrested the Indian fishermen to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats considering the livelihood of their local fishermen.

The Northern Naval Command and Coast Guard had deployed their fast attack craft to drive away the Indian fishing boats poaching in the sea area north of Talaimannar. The arrested fishermen and their boats were handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Killinochi, for further legal proceedings, the release said.

Meanwhile, fishermen leaders in Rameswaram condemned the arrest and seizure of the properties under false charges. They urged the Union Government to intervene in the issue with the Sri Lankan government and bring back the fishermen safely with the trawlers.