The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested seven Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters.
The fishermen were arrested and their two trawlers seized on Tuesday off Kovilan in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the navy said in a statement.
The arrests will be handed over to Fisheries Inspector Myliddy, Jaffna for legal action, it said.
Fishermen from both countries are often arrested for inadvertently trespassing in each other’s waters.
The issue of fishermen is contentious in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Lankan naval personnel even firing on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegal entry into Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
In 2025, the Sri Lankan Navy detained 346 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching and seized 44 trawlers, the statement said.
