Indian trawlers that reportedly poach in Sri Lankan waters, pose a serious challenge to the livelihoods of northern Sri Lankan fishermen. Fisher folks seen at work along the northern coast of Jaffna Peninsula. File
| Photo Credit: Meera Srinivasan.

The Supreme Court in Colombo yesterday had moved that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be made a respondent in the fundamental rights petition filed against illegal bottom trawling carried out by the south Indian fishermen in the Sri Lanka waters in the north and northeastern seas.

Sri Lankan fishermen have asked authorities to prevent Indian fishermen from engaging in illegal bottom trawling in the island nation’s territorial waters and to direct the Air Force to prevent incursions by Indian trawlers.

Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.

The Sri Lanka Navy has so far held 23 Indian trawlers and 178 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s waters thus far in 2024, and handed them over to authorities for legal action, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement in February.

Meanwhile, the Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) filed a petition in December last year along with the affected fishermen from the northern and northeastern regions of Jaffna and Mannar against illegal bottom trawling carried out by the Indian fishermen in the Sri Lanka waters in the north and northeastern seas.

A three-member Supreme Court Bench had its first hearing on the issue on Monday.

The petitioners pleaded in court that around 50,000 local fishermen have been affected by illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by their Indian counterparts. They estimate an annual loss to Sri Lanka in the region of SLR 4-7 billion in addition to the environmental damage caused due to bottom trawling.

The Fisheries Minister, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the commanders of the Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Airforce have been cited as respondents.

The case will be next taken up on August 5, a spokesman for the CEJ told PTI here.

The petitioners have sought orders from the court to prevent the Indian fishermen from engaging in illegal fishing in the local territorial waters and to direct the Sri Lanka Air Force to prevent incursions by Indian trawlers into Sri Lankan waters.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

On April 3, as many as 19 Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy were repatriated to India after being released by authorities here.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Chennai:

The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized five of their boats for allegedly trespassing into their waters. The fishermen, residents of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram, were fishing in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar and near the Delft and Kachchativu Islands in Jaffna.

Fishermen in Ramanathapuram have now declared an indefinite strike, effectively halting the operation of around 7,000 fishermen. Protesting fishermen also plan to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, emphasizing the urgency of their demands.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan assured a diplomatic solution to the crisis and appealed to the fishermen to end their strike. He also asked the fishermen to recognize the direct impact the strike would have on the lives of approximately 15,000 people in the region.

More than 600 Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly trespassing over the last few decades. Though killing has almost stopped over the last few years, Sri Lanka has stopped returning seized boats, crippling the livelihood of fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Navy has seized 22 boats and arrested 137 Indian fishermen so far in 2023.

It is said that the fishermen venture into the Lankan waters due to a smaller number of fish in the Indian waters.

Tamil Nadu has mooted two solutions to the issue. One is to retrieve the Katchatheevu island which India gifted to Sri Lanka in the 70s as they say this will increase the catchment area for fishermen and change the international boundary line as well.

The state has also suggested the idea of a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka to pave the way for legal fishing rights for Indian fishermen.

Chennai:

The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized five of their boats for allegedly trespassing into their waters. The fishermen, residents of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram, were fishing in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar and near the Delft and Kachchativu Islands in Jaffna.

Fishermen in Ramanathapuram have now declared an indefinite strike, effectively halting the operation of around 7,000 fishermen. Protesting fishermen also plan to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, emphasizing the urgency of their demands.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan assured a diplomatic solution to the crisis and appealed to the fishermen to end their strike. He also asked the fishermen to recognize the direct impact the strike would have on the lives of approximately 15,000 people in the region.

More than 600 Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly trespassing over the last few decades. Though killing has almost stopped over the last few years, Sri Lanka has stopped returning seized boats, crippling the livelihood of fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Navy has seized 22 boats and arrested 137 Indian fishermen so far in 2023.

It is said that the fishermen venture into the Lankan waters due to a smaller number of fish in the Indian waters.

Tamil Nadu has mooted two solutions to the issue. One is to retrieve the Katchatheevu island which India gifted to Sri Lanka in the 70s as they say this will increase the catchment area for fishermen and change the international boundary line as well.

The state has also suggested the idea of a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka to pave the way for legal fishing rights for Indian fishermen.