17 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka repatriated

Colombo: Seventeen Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly poaching in the island nation's waters have been repatriated, according to the Indian mission here.

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

"Homecoming! 17 Indian fishermen have been successfully repatriated and are on their way to Tamil Nadu, India," the High Commission of India here said in a post on X on Friday.

The fishermen issue is a contentious topic in the bilateral ties, 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. Sri Lanka claims a similar attitude by Indian authorities.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries, who are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.

According to an official release by the Sri Lanka Navy, the number of Indians arrested this year by the island nation's navy has risen to 413, and their trawlers seized to 55.