Fresh anxiety gripped the fishing community in Rameswaram on Tuesday after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested three Indian fishermen and seized their mechanised trawler on charges of poaching in Sri Lankan waters, once again highlighting the unresolved and recurring issue of arrests in the Palk Strait region.
According to officials from the Fisheries Department in Rameswaram, the arrested fishermen have been identified as Rooban, Nagarajan and Prabhu. The three had ventured into the sea late on Monday night from the Rameswaram fishing harbour after receiving official clearance.
While fishing near waters off Neduntheevu (Delft Island), their trawler was intercepted by a Sri Lankan Navy patrol team. The fishermen were taken into custody, and their vessel was seized and transported to the Karainagar Naval Base in northern Sri Lanka, officials said.
The incident occurred on a day when fishing activity was relatively high in the region. Fisheries Department officials stated that a total of 415 fishing tokens were issued on Monday, allowing fishermen to go out to sea. Most boats were expected to return by Tuesday evening, but news of the arrest spread rapidly through coastal villages, triggering fear and uncertainty among families awaiting the return of their relatives.
The latest arrests have renewed concerns among fishermen, who say such incidents have become increasingly frequent in recent weeks. Fishermen’s representatives said this was the third instance of arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy in less than a fortnight.
According to association leaders, at least 13 fishermen from the Rameswaram region have been detained by Sri Lankan authorities over the past 15 days, while three mechanised trawlers have been confiscated. Several fishermen detained earlier were released only after Sri Lankan courts imposed substantial fines, adding to the financial burden faced by their families.
Condemning the arrests, V.P. Jesu Raja, a leader of a fishermen’s association in Rameswaram, said repeated detentions have pushed the community into severe distress. He said fishermen continue to face uncertainty every time they venture into the sea, despite long-standing appeals for a lasting resolution to the issue.
Jesu Raja urged both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to engage in meaningful dialogue at the highest level to find a permanent solution to the recurring arrests. He said the continued seizure of boats and mounting legal expenses have made survival increasingly difficult for fishing families who depend solely on the sea for their livelihood.
The arrests have once again drawn attention to the long-standing dispute over fishing rights in the Palk Strait, a narrow stretch of water separating India and Sri Lanka. Fishermen from Tamil Nadu have frequently complained that traditional fishing grounds overlap with contested maritime boundaries, leading to repeated detentions.
Families of the detained fishermen said uncertainty over the duration of custody and the condition of seized vessels adds to their anxiety. Community leaders have called for urgent intervention by the Union government to secure the release of the fishermen and their trawler at the earliest.
As boats continue to return to Rameswaram harbour, the incident has cast a shadow over the fishing community, reinforcing fears that routine fishing trips could once again result in arrests, financial losses and prolonged legal battles.
