Overview

• The Sri Lankan Navy arrested seven Indian fishermen and confiscated their trawler on the night of June 30 in Talaimannar waters over alleged poaching beyond the International Maritime Boundary Line.
• This marks the second detention of Indian fishermen in less than a week following the seizure of eight fishermen and a mechanised trawler on June 29.
• Sri Lankan authorities plan to hand over the detained crew and their vessel to the Mannar fisheries inspectorate for processing under national fishing regulations.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has officially urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to ensure the fishermen’s safe repatriation.
• The incident has reignited demands from Tamil Nadu officials and fishing communities for a formal bilateral framework to clearly demarcate the Palk Strait and protect fishermen’s livelihoods.