Chennai: Early on Tuesday, the Sri Lanka Navy arrested four Indian fishermen and seized their trawler for allegedly poaching in the island nation’s waters. This brings the total number of arrests to over 180 this year.

"In the latest incident of alleged poaching by Indians, one Indian trawler was seized, and four fishermen were arrested early on Tuesday around the northern islet of Delft in the Jaffna peninsula," the Sri Lanka Navy reported.

With these recent arrests, the tally for 2024 now stands at 182 Indian fishermen detained and 25 trawlers seized for purportedly illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters. These numbers represent nearly 75 percent of the approximately 240-245 arrests recorded in 2023.

Most of these incidents occur in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka’s northern tip, which is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Fisheries announced that the issue of alleged illegal fishing by Indians would be discussed with India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, during his visit on June 20.

The fisherman issue remains a contentious point in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Sri Lanka Navy personnel occasionally firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for allegedly entering Sri Lanka's territorial waters illegally.

Temperatures Soar to 45 Degrees Celsius in Northern Rajasthan

When Does Jordan Peele's Fourth Movie Release in Theaters?

Breaking! Fire Breaks Out at Garments Factory in Delhi's Gandhi Nagar, Dousing Operation Underway