Chennai:
The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized five of their boats for allegedly trespassing in their waters. The fishermen, residents of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, were fishing in Sri Lankan waters at Mannar and near Delft and Kachchativu islands in Jaffna.
Fishermen in Ramanathapuram have now declared an indefinite strike, effectively halting the activities of around 7,000 fishermen. Protesting fishermen also plan to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, stressing the urgency of their demands.
Meanwhile, Union Fisheries Minister L Murugan assured a diplomatic solution to the crisis and appealed to the fishermen to end their strike. He also asked fishermen to recognize the direct impact the strike would have on the lives of about 15,000 people in the region.
More than 600 Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan Navy in recent decades for alleged violations. Although killings have all but stopped in recent years, Sri Lanka has stopped returning seized boats, crippling fishermen’s livelihoods.
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 Lankan waters due to lesser number of fish in Indian waters.
Tamil Nadu has suggested two solutions to the problem. One of these is to retrieve the Katchatheevu Island that India gave to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, which they say will increase the catchment area for fishermen and also change the international boundary line.
The state has also floated the idea of a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka to pave the way for legal fishing rights for Indian fishermen.