The Sri Lankan navy has detained fifty-eight fishermen from Tamil Nadu so far in March

The Sri Lankan Navy seized thirty-two fishermen from Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Thursday morning on suspicion of breaching the International Marine Border (IMBL) in two separate instances at the Neduntheevu and Mannar areas. Additionally, five boats have been taken. As a result, in March alone, six boats were confiscated and 58 fishermen were detained.

Over 480 mechanized Indian boats, according to reports, departed from the fishing harbor in Rameswaram on Wednesday. The Lankan Navy pursued a number of them close to Mannar and Neduntheevu, seizing five of Rameswaram’s boats in the process. Thirty-two fishermen were taken into custody.

The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended the fishermen on suspicion of violating the IMBL. Additionally, five of their boats have been taken.
32 Tamil Nadu fisherman are detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for suspected IMBL violations.
The Lankan Navy said that they had apprehended two boats and seven fishermen along the coast of Talaimannar. Later, 25 fishermen and three additional Indian poaching trawlers were apprehended at Delft Island.

Following these most recent instances, there have been 178 arrests of Indian fisherman in 2024, and 23 boats have been impounded. Of the 58 fishermen who have been arrested so far this month, 37 are from Pudukkottai and Nagapattinam, and they were taken on March 17 together with 21 others from Rameswaram.

In an interview with TNIE, Jesuraj, the head of a Rameswaram fishermen’s group, stated: “It is unacceptable that a boat owner who traveled to Sri Lanka to attend a court hearing over the seizure of his vessel was given a one-day prison term. Even though elections are coming up, the administration is not prepared to deal with the problem.

After meetings, the group would organize demonstrations, he said. According to reports, the fishermen will stage a demonstration in Rameswaram on March 26, as previously scheduled.