Navy seizes 03 poaching trawlers in Sri Lankan waters

The Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters in the dark hours of 22nd and wee hours of 23rd June 2024. The operation led to the seizure of 03 Indian trawlers and apprehension of 22 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island, Jaffna.

The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.

As an extension of these efforts, the Northern Naval Command deployed Fast Attack Craft to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island. The operation resulted in the seizure of 03 Indian poaching trawlers and apprehension of 22 Indian fishermen continued to remain in Sri Lankan waters.

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

With this recent apprehension, the Navy has seized a total of 27 Indian poaching trawlers and 204 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in 2024, and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings.