Jaishankar: 97 Indian Fishermen Detained in Sri Lanka

Colombo (News 1st): Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar addressed the concerns raised in the Rajya Sabha regarding the number of Indian fishermen currently in Sri Lankan custody.

As of Wednesday (26), there were 86 Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka, with 11 more apprehended Thursday (27), bringing the total to 97. Among them, 83 are serving sentences, three are awaiting trial, and 11 have been newly apprehended.

Dr. Jaishankar explained that Sri Lanka has two laws governing fisheries: the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act of 1996 and the Fisheries Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats Act of 1979. Both acts were amended in 2018 and 2023, respectively, to impose stiffer sentences, higher fines, and longer detentions. Many of the detained fishermen are boat owners, skippers, or repeat offenders, which complicates the situation.

The Minister highlighted that the root cause of the issue dates back to decisions made in 1974 and 1976 regarding the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing jurisdictions.

He emphasized the government's efforts to engage with Sri Lanka diplomatically to address the humanitarian aspect of the issue.

Additionally, through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, efforts are being made to equip boats with transponders to minimize inadvertent crossings.

Dr. Jaishankar assured that the government is working on diplomatic channels to secure the release of the fishermen and exploring alternative solutions to prevent such situations in the future.