Sri Lankan Navy arrests 11 Indian fishermen, Stalin expresses ‘grave concern’

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for alleged maritime violation, and chief minister M.K. Stalin flagged the matter with the Centre on Saturday, 24 August, seeking immediate steps for their release.

One boat was also taken into custody.

In a letter to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Stalin said, "I am writing to you with grave concern regarding yet another incident of apprehension of fishermen from Tamil Nadu," on Friday. The fishermen were apprehended while fishing southeast of Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district, he said.

"I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishing community in Tamil Nadu continues to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests, which severely affect their means of subsistence," he said.

Further, in the past two weeks, there have been a couple of instances of attacks on fishermen at sea by unidentified persons from Sri Lanka, and this issue needs to be addressed immediately, the CM added.

"Therefore, I urge you to initiate immediate and concrete diplomatic efforts to secure the expeditious release of all our fishermen and their fishing boats," Stalin told Jaishankar.