The Sri Lankan navy arrested 47 Indian fishermen on Thursday, prompting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to write to Union minister S Jaishankar seeking their release.
Apart from the arrests, five trawlers were seized during coordinated patrols conducted in the Mannar and Delft sea areas. The Sri Lankan navy spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI that the arrests were made at Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation's waters.
This comes a month after 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat seized near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.
The issue pertaining to fishermen remains a bone of contention in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the the Sri Lankan navy having fired at Indian fishermen in some instances. Despite ongoing diplomatic discussions, the fishing rights dispute remains long-pending.
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