Tamil Nadu Chief Minister urges action as Sri Lanka Navy increases fishermen arrests

MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has written a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, expressing concern over the increasing number of Indian fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Stalin highlighted that this year has seen the highest number of arrests in seven years.

According to the Sri Lankan Navy, Indian fishing boats are poaching in Sri Lankan waters, prompting the Navy to conduct regular patrols to curb illegal fishing. This year, the Navy has detained 66 Indian fishing boats and 497 fishermen in Sri Lankan waters.

The issue of fishermen crossing into each other’s waters remains a long-standing point of tension between India and Sri Lanka. It revolves around fishing rights and territorial disputes in the Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu from the northern part of Sri Lanka.

Stalin’s letter referenced two recent incidents, one on November 9 and the other on November 12, where a total of 35 Tamil Nadu fishermen and their four boats were detained by Sri Lankan authorities. Stalin emphasized that these arrests disrupt the livelihoods of the fishermen and cause significant distress to their families.

In the wake of these tensions, India and Sri Lanka have been holding discussions on maritime security. On November 11, officials from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) met in Colombo for the 7th Annual High-Level Meeting, focusing on issues like maritime crime, marine pollution, and enhancing cooperation.

This came shortly after the 34th India-Sri Lanka Navy & Coast Guard International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting on November 6 in Palk Bay, where both nations discussed maritime security and the safety of fishermen.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in a campaign speech ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, accused Indian fishermen of damaging marine resources in Sri Lanka’s northern region.

He vowed to protect Sri Lankan fishermen’s rights, create more local jobs, and combat drug abuse in the region.