Lankan Navy arrest seven Indian fishermen in the north

Seven Indian fishermen poaching in the waters off the Delft Island have been arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guards on Wednesday night, the Navy said.

The detection was made during a special operation in northern waters to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lanka’s waters.

Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard remain alert to foil illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers in Sri Lanka’s waters and regularly conduct patrols and operations to prevent such endeavours.

As an extension of these efforts, the Northern Naval Command mounted a special operation in the dark hours of 26th October, by deploying a craft of Sri Lanka Coast Guard attached to the Northern Naval Command, to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers in Sri Lanka’s waters, off the Delft Island. The operation led to the seizure of an Indian poaching trawler continued to remain in island’s waters, with 07 Indian fishers and their fishing gear.

The seized trawler together with 07 Indian fishermen was brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.