Sun Feb 23 06:37:10 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lankan Navy Arrests 32 Tamil Nadu Fishermen, Seizes Five Trawlers

**RAMESWARAM, February 23, 2025** – Thirty-two fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday for alleged poaching in the Palk Straits. Five trawlers belonging to the fishermen from Rameswaram, Thangachimadam, and nearby areas were also seized. The arrests come amidst rising tensions between the two countries over fishing rights in the region.

According to fisheries department officials, 478 fishing permits were issued to fishermen from Rameswaram on Saturday. The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended the fishermen near Mannar, taking them and their catch to a naval base. One of the seized trawlers belonged to Jesu Raja, a prominent fishermen leader from Thangachimadam.

The arrests follow the Sri Lankan government’s announcement that it will auction off 67 seized trawlers, including five country boats and 62 mechanized boats confiscated in 2024. Fishermen leaders have expressed outrage over the planned auction, calling it an unfair seizure of their assets. They criticize the lack of response from both the Indian Union and State governments regarding their concerns.

Jesu Raja stated that the fishermen are only seeking a peaceful resolution and have repeatedly requested a meeting between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen leaders to address the ongoing disputes. He emphasized that they are not seeking favors but simply asserting their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Straits.

This incident is the latest in a series of arrests. Over 100 Tamil Nadu fishermen have been arrested and 20 trawlers seized by the Sri Lankan Navy since the beginning of the year. Fishermen’s leaders decry the harsh penalties—heavy fines and jail time—imposed by Sri Lankan courts, which they view as cruel and humiliating. Fishermen’s welfare associations have threatened strikes beginning March 1st if a permanent solution isn’t found by February 28th.

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