In spite of specific warnings issued by fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar to Indian poachers, trawlers are continuously crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary.
Navy headquarters yesterday (14) said that so far this year they have detained 24 Indian fishing boats and taken into custody 181 fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The arrested included seven taken off the Delft Island, Jaffna in the early hours of Sunday.
Navy headquarters spokesman said that operations were conducted taking into account the harmful impact of prohibited fishing practices such as bottom trawling resorted to by Indian poachers, on the livelihood of local fishermen.
Having observed Indian fishing boats off Delft, the Northern Naval Command deployed its craft to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters, off the Delft Island.
The detained boat and Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankasanthurai Harbour and handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mailadi, Jaffna for legal proceedings.
Sailor disinfecting Indian boat (Pix courtesy Navy)