Colombo: The Sri Lankan Navy arrested at least 34 Indian fishermen and seized three trawlers for illegal fishing in two separate incidents, the authorities said on Sunday. The fishermen have been arrested for illegal fishing in two separate incidents on January 25 and 26, the Navy said.

Both arrests came off the coast of the northeastern Mannar district in the Navy’s continued regular patrols in the Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing, the Navy said. The arrested fishermen have been handed over to the relevant officials for further action.

The Indian High Commission here earlier this week said some 41 Indian fishermen who had been similarly arrested previously for poaching in Sri Lankan waters were repatriated. On January 12, eight Indian fishermen were arrested and two fishing trawlers were seized.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries. Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters. In 2024, the island nation’s Navy arrested 529 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.