New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday addressed concerns over Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka, attributing the ongoing crisis to agreements made in 1974 and 1976. Speaking during the Rajya Sabha’s question hour, Jaishankar stated, “The house is aware that, in a way, our government has inherited the problem. This problem began in 1974 when the international maritime boundary line was drawn, followed by an exchange of letters in 1976 delineating fishing jurisdiction. These decisions are the root cause of the situation.”
Jaishankar detailed Sri Lanka’s strict legal framework, explaining that the country has two primary laws governing fisheries—the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act of 1996 and the Fisheries Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats of 1979—both of which were amended in 2018 and 2023 to impose stiffer penalties, larger fines, and longer detention periods.
“Because it is Sri Lanka, it is natural that the majority of the fishermen will be from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry,” he added, noting the geographical proximity of these regions to Sri Lankan waters.
Updating the Rajya Sabha on the current situation, Jaishankar revealed, “Till yesterday, there were 86 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody. Today, one more trawler has been apprehended, adding 11 more fishermen. So, in total, 97 are in custody—83 are serving sentences, three are awaiting trial, and 11 have been apprehended today.”
Earlier on Thursday, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 11 Tamil Nadu fishermen and took them to the Kangesanthurai Naval Camp for investigation, as per officials. Meanwhile, seven fishermen who had been arrested earlier were released and arrived at Chennai Airport. Four of them had been detained on February 20 and the remaining three on February 22 for alleged cross-border fishing.
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