The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday detained 12 Indian fishermen and seized their trawlers on suspicion of poaching in the island nation's waters, media reports said.
The Navy released a statement saying that the fishermen were taken into custody and their three trawlers confiscated off the coast of Karainagar in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Saturday. The report said they were taken to the Kankesanthurai port for further action.
In numerous alleged cases of illegal entry into Sri Lankan territorial waters, Lankan naval soldiers have even opened fire on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seized their boats, making the fishermen issue a sensitive one in India-Sri Lanka relations.
Fishermen from both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka benefit greatly from the rich fishing grounds in the tiny stretch of water known as the Palk Strait.
Authorities in Sri Lanka have on occasion detained Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.
In 2023, the island nation's navy arrested 35 trawlers and 240 Indian fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters.