Seven Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy for alleged poaching

The Sri Lanka Navy has arrested 7 Indian fishermen for allegedly sportfishing successful the land nation's territorial waters.

“The fishermen were arrested, and their 2 trawlers seized connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) disconnected Kovilan, successful the bluish Jaffna peninsula,” the Navy said successful a statement. Those arrested volition beryllium handed implicit to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna, for ineligible proceedings, it said.

Fishermen from some countries are arrested often for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters. The fishermen contented is simply a contentious 1 successful the ties betwixt India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy unit adjacent firing astatine Indian fishermen successful the Palk Strait and seizing their boats successful respective alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a constrictive portion of h2o separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is simply a affluent sportfishing crushed for fishermen from some countries. In 2025, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 346 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching and seized 44 trawlers, according to the statement.