7 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy for alleged poaching

Colombo: The Sri Lanka Navy has arrested seven Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.

The fishermen were arrested and and their two trawlers seized on Tuesday off Kovilan, in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the Navy said in a statement.

Those arrested will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna, for legal proceedings, it said.

Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

In 2025, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 346 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching and seized 44 trawlers, according to the statement.