Tamil Nadu Leaders Demand Action After 14 Fishermen Detained by Sri Lankan Navy
Opposition figures in the state press for immediate central intervention over recurring detentions by Sri Lankan authorities.
Overview
- Fourteen fishermen who left Mayiladuthurai on November 8 were intercepted on November 9 after their mechanised boat entered Sri Lankan waters, and the vessel was seized.
- AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami says the crew drifted due to a malfunction and strong winds and alleges the Sri Lankan Navy ignored pleas for help before arresting them.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has informed the Centre of the arrests and says more than 120 state fishermen and over 240 boats remain in Sri Lankan custody.
- TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai criticises the Union government’s response and notes the India–Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries has met seven times in nine years.
- Reports highlight steep penalties under Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Act, 2018, and cite 2024 figures of 128 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested and 248 boats confiscated.