The Sri Lankan navy has arrested 12 Indian fishermen and seized two fishing trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters, an official statement said on Sunday, the third such incident involving Indians in the island nation this month. this. The arrests took place in the seas north of Talaimannar. They were engaged in bottom trawling, the Navy said.

“During an operation in the seas north of Talaimannar in the dark hours of February 12, the Sri Lankan Navy managed to seize 2 Indian trawlers along with 12 Indian fishermen while poaching in Sri Lankan waters” , did he declare. This was the third arrest of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters this month.

On February 8, the navy arrested 11 Indian fishermen and seized three fishing trawlers and on February 1, twenty-one Indian fishermen were arrested. The issue of fishermen is a controversial issue in the relations between the two countries. The issue also featured in talks between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Sri Lankan counterpart GL Peiris last week during the latter’s three-day official visit to India.

The arrests of Indian fishermen come as local immigration authorities make arrangements to repatriate 56 Indian fishermen arrested in December. Arrests of Indians and agitations by local fishermen demanding government action to stop Indian fishing boats have increased over the past fortnight.

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