Four Indian fishermen along with a trawler have been arrested by Sri Lanka Navy personnel during a special operation conducted to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island, Jaffna.
The operation carried out in the wee hours of today (18) had led to the seizure of 01 Indian trawler and the apprehension of 04 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the Navy said.
Sri Lanka Navy says it continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.
As an extension of these efforts, the Northern Naval Command deployed Fast Attack Craft to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island.
The seized trawler together with 04 Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings, Navy said.
With this recent apprehension, the Navy says it has seized a total of 24 Indian poaching trawlers and 182 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in 2024, and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings.