The Sri Lanka Navy has arrested 22 Indian fishermen and three trawlers for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters off the Kovilan Lighthouse in Kareinagar.

According to the Navy, the apprehensions were made during a special operation carried out between the late hours of Saturday night (09 March) and in the early hours of today (10 March).

As an extension of the regular operations conducted to curb illegal fishing practices by foreign fishing trawlers in Sri Lankan waters, the Northern Naval Command deployed a Fast Attack Craft to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in local waters off the Kovilan Lighthouse.

The operation resulted in the seizure of three Indian poaching trawlers and the apprehension of 22 Indian fishermen, who were subsequently brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and are due to be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.

With this recent apprehension, the Navy has seized a total of 15 Indian poaching trawlers and 110 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in 2024 thus far.

The Navy 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