03 Indian trawlers with 13 fishermen seized for poaching in Sri Lankan waters
The Sri Lanka Navy has seized 03 Indian trawlers and apprehended 13 Indian fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters off Delft Island in Jaffna today.
According to the Navy, the arrest was made during a special operation conducted together with the Coast Guard to deter Indian trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
The Navy and Coast Guard continue 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 part of these efforts, the Northern Naval Command deployed Fast Attack Craft of the Navy and Coast Guard to chase away a group of Indian trawlers, having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island.
The 03 seized trawlers and 13 Indian fishermen arrested during the operation were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for legal proceedings.
With this arrest, the Sri Lanka Navy has seized a total of 35 Indian trawlers and arrested 252 Indian fishermen so far in 2024 for poaching in Sri Lankan waters