As many as 47 Indian fishermen were arrested and five of their trawlers seized on Thursday at Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation’s waters, the Sri Lankan Navy said. The arrests were made during coordinated patrols conducted in the Mannar and Delft sea areas. According to the Sri Lankan Navy, the arrested fishermen and their equipment will be handed over to the fisheries inspectorate in the north for further action. “The Naval command operation to arrest them began late last night and lasted until the early hours of Thursday,” Navy spokesman Commander Buddika Sampath told PTI. The fishermen issue has long been a contentious one in India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties, with repeated incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for allegedly entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. Last month, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat seized near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. Similar incidents have often led to diplomatic engagements between the two countries over maritime boundary and fishing rights. (With PTI inputs)
