Chennai, April 12 (NationPress) Twelve Indian fishermen, including five hailing from Tamil Nadu, were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy late on April 11 for allegedly breaching the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). This incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the Palk Strait region.

As per official reports, the fishermen had set sail in a mechanized boat from the Karaikal fishing harbour around 10 a.m. on April 10. The vessel, belonging to Veeravel from Tsunami Nagar in Kilinjalmedu, Karaikal district (Puducherry), had ventured approximately 60 nautical miles offshore for fishing.

The Sri Lanka Navy released a statement indicating that during a nighttime operation on April 11, they seized the Indian fishing boat and arrested the 12 fishermen for supposedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters near Kovilam in Karainagar, Jaffna.

The interception occurred late at night, and all individuals onboard were taken into custody and subsequently brought to Kankesanthurai harbour for further legal proceedings. The detained fishermen include Tamilvanan (42) from Nagapattinam district; Karthik (32), Vignesh (21), Veerendrarajan (33), and Jayaveeran (28) from Mayiladuthurai district; along with Arulselvan (28), Sanjay (30), Pradeep (29), Viman (24), Madhan (26), Nishwanthan (20), and Saminathan (20) from Karaikal district.

This latest incident is part of a relentless series of detentions by the Sri Lankan Navy.

On April 8, at least ten Indian fishermen were also seized, along with their trawler, in waters north of Mannar on similar charges of illegal fishing.

Official statistics reveal that this year, Sri Lankan authorities have confiscated 16 Indian fishing trawlers and arrested 112 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in their territorial waters. These repeated arrests have raised significant concern among fishing communities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, many of whom depend heavily on deep-sea fishing for their subsistence.

Fishermen frequently venture close to or across the IMBL due to declining fish stocks on the Indian side and the lack of clear markers at sea.

However, Sri Lankan authorities enforce strict regulations against what they consider illegal bottom trawling and depletion of resources in their waters. Fishermen's associations have appealed to both the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government for immediate diplomatic measures to secure the release of those detained along with their boats.

They have also reiterated the necessity for a long-term bilateral solution to avoid recurrent arrests and to safeguard the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities.