The fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy late on October 8, 2025. Photo: Special Arrangement
The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 47 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, in two separate incidents, for allegedly poaching in international waters, and seized five boats.According to the officials of the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department, on Wednesday morning (October 8, 2025), 339 boats belonging to fishermen from Thangachimadam, Rameswaram, and other areas were issued tokens at the Rameswaram jetty.Around 8 p.m., the Sri Lankan Navy personnel, who were on surveillance duty along the Palk Bay, detained 30 fishermen, and impounded four boats as well as their catch. They were taken to a naval port in the island nation, and subsequently arrested, the officials said.Speaking to The Hindu, Jesu Raja, a fishermen leader, condemned the arrest, and demanded that the Union government immediately speak to the Sri Lankan government and secure their release.“This is a question of survival and livelihood for our fishers. The governments cannot remain silent spectators. We are seeking a permanent solution,” he added.Another fisherman leader, Sagayam, said that with the Deepavali festival approaching, the incident had upset the fishing community. “The governments should immediately intervene, and bring them back with the trawlers at the earliest,” he said.Early on Thursday (October 9, 2025), a total of 17 fishermen on board a mechanised boat from Karaikal were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching in the island nation’s waters.A Fisheries Department official in Karaikal said the fishermen, who had put out to sea from the Karaikal harbour, were engaged in fishing when the Sri Lankan Navy intercepted the boat and arrested them on charges of illegal fishing in the waters near Neduntheevu. The arrested fishermen, along with the confiscated boat, were taken to Sri Lanka for legal proceedings.Coastal Security Group sources said four of the arrested fishermen were from Nagapattinam district, two from Mayiladuthurai, and the remaining from Karaikal district. Published - October 09, 2025 11:36 am IST
