Expressing serious concern over the increasedTamil frequency of the Sri Lankan Navy apprehending fishermen and imprisoning them on the charge of poaching in the island nation’s waters, Nadu Chief Minister on Tuesday requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic steps to prevent further arrests and secure the release of 35 fishermen arrested in the last three days.

In a Demi Official letter, the Chief Minister said “I want to draw your attention to the increased frequency of arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities. These arrests not only disrupt their livelihoods but also cause immense distress to their families.” While on November 9, a total 23 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested along with their two mechanised boats and an unregistered boat, on November 12, as many as12 more fishermen were detained and their boat impounded, he added.

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“Notably, the Sri Lankan Navy’s apprehension of Tamil Nadu fishermen in 2024 is the highest in the last seven years,” Stalin pointed out and requested the External Affairs Minister to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of the fishermen and their boats.

While the fishermen issue begs for a resolution, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had vowed to put an end to Indian fishermen exploiting the island nation’s marine resources in the north and east. Addressing a well-attended campaign rally in Jaffna, the first after assuming office, he assured to protect the rights of Sri Lankan fishermen. Interestingly, his firm stance against ‘illegal’ fishing by India fishermen came on Sunday in the backdrop of the island navy arresting 23 fishermen from Rameswaram and impounding their trawlers.

The Tamil fishermen in the north and east of Sri Lanka have returned to fishing after the end of the three-decade-old civil war. While their counterparts across the Palk Strait use trawlers, they are still fishing with country boats and complain about bottom trawling by Indian fishermen, detrimental to marine resources and outlawed by Colombo. The Indian fishermen continue to fish along the Lankan coast and get arrested.