Three fishermen from Rameswaram were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday while fishing near Delft Island in the Palkbay Sea region. The arrested fishermen have been identified as A Shankar (53), M Arjunan (35), and S Murugesan (49).
The fishermen had received their fishing permits just the day before, on March 17, 2025. According to reports, the Sri Lankan Navy informed them that they had inadvertently crossed the maritime border while fishing in the area. The boat involved in the incident, identified as IND-TN-10-MM-496, is owned by Thangachimadam Kennedy, and authorities are currently investigating the case.
NJ Bose, the State Secretary of the Fishermen's Association, expressed concern over the arrest, noting that the fishermen had just set out from the Rameswaram fishing port, alongside 403 other boats, when they were detained. The arrest has sparked significant unrest in the local fishing community.
This incident follows a similar event earlier in March, when the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 14 fishermen from the Pamban area for allegedly crossing the maritime border. These fishermen were taken to the Mannar Naval Base for further investigation. According to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, the detained fishermen were from Salalanga, and their boats were also seized by the Sri Lankan authorities.
In light of these repeated incidents, Tamil Nadu's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently met with a delegation of fishermen, led by BJP state chief K. Annamalai, to discuss their concerns and seek long-term solutions. During the meeting, the delegation called for a permanent resolution to the ongoing attacks on Indian fishermen in the region, as well as measures to address the increasing fines and long sentences imposed on them.
Minister Jaishankar assured the delegation that the issue would be addressed in the upcoming Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, where solutions would be explored to prevent further confrontations. Additionally, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also raised concerns over the growing number of Indian fishermen being detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, urging the central government to expedite the establishment of a Joint Working Group to find a lasting solution to the issue.
As tensions continue to rise, the fishing community in Tamil Nadu remains hopeful that diplomatic efforts will bring about a permanent resolution to the recurring problems faced by Indian fishermen on the high seas.