Sri Lanka Navy seizes Indian trawler and arrests four fishermen for illegal fishing

The Sri Lanka Navy has arrested four Indian fishermen and seized their fishing trawler for illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The arrest happened during an operation near the Kovilan Lighthouse in Jaffna on September 4, 2024.

The Navy stated that they regularly patrol Sri Lankan waters to prevent illegal fishing by foreign trawlers, which harms the livelihoods of local fishermen.

During this operation, the Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing trawlers illegally fishing and deployed Fast Attack Craft to chase them away.

The captured trawler and the four Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai harbor and will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for legal action.

So far in 2024, the Navy has seized 47 Indian trawlers and arrested 345 Indian fishermen for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, all of whom were handed over to the authorities for further legal proceedings.