Sri Lanka Rejects Tamil Nadu’s Request for Indian Fishermen to Enter Sri Lankan Waters

COLOMBO (News 1st); Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said that Sri Lanka has turned down a request made by the Tamil Nadu Government to allow Indian fishermen to enter the Sea of Sri Lanka to engage in fishing.

He said that such a request was made by the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister, Anita Radhakrishnan, during a phone conversation.

In the phone conversation, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister had requested permission for Indian fishers to enter the Sea of Sri Lanka for fishing for a limited period, until the dispute is solved. 

Speaking EXCLUSIVELY to News 1st, Minister Douglas Devananda noted that he informed the Tamil Nadu Minister that the fishing dispute can ONLY be solved when the Tamil Nadu Government assures that Indian fishers would not enter the Sea Of Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, said there has been no response from the Indian government regarding the resumption of talks surrounding the fishing dispute.

The last discussion on the Indo-Sri Lanka fishing dispute took place in March 2022.

Recently, a Sri Lankan court sentenced five Indians who were found guilty of repeatedly entering Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. These fishers had used GPS devices to navigate into Sri Lankan waters.

In response to this, fishermen staged protests in various areas, including Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. 

Additionally, fishermen from Jaffna approached the India - Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary last Saturday, raising black flags in protest.

Minister Douglas Devananda noted that the Sri Lankan fishermen’s protests have led to a reduction in the number of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lanka’s waters.

However, despite these efforts, 88 Indian fishers and 12 boats were detained by the Sri Lanka Navy in the first two months of this year for violating Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.