SLN nabs 21 Indian fishers for poaching

The Navy took into custody 21 Indian fishermen who were poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Saturday (16) night.

The Indian fishers were apprehended during a special operation conducted by the Sri Lankan Navy to chase away Indian trawlers poaching off Delft island. The Navy also seized two trawlers that the Indians were travelling in, the statement said.

The trawlers and the 21 Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour to be handed over to the local authority for onward legal proceedings, the Navy said.

The Navy has seized a total of 18 Indian poaching trawlers and 146 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters so far in 2024, the navy said.

Speaking to the media recently, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, said on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, about 600 Indian fishing vessels poached in Sri Lankan waters.