(COLOMBO) – A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday fined 12 Indian poachers Rs 185 million after they pleaded guilty to the charges.
Another group of 10 Indian poachers were remanded until September 10 by the Puttalam Magistrate Ayoma Wimalaratne.
They had been arrested by the Coast Protection Force during a raid in the sea off Kudiramalai on August 6 and handed over to the Puttalam District Fisheries Department office through the Navy
The accused were South Indian fishermen between the ages of 20 and 25.
Asst. Director of Fisheries, Puttalam District had filed action against them on the charge of encroaching Sri Lankan sea limits and poaching.
The skipper of the multi-day craft was fined Rs. 20 million and others Rs.15 million each and sentenced to six months imprisonment in default of the fine.
Fisheries officers Krishan Thiwanka and Tharaka Nadeeshan made submissions for the State.
Attorney at Law Fariz Marikkar appeared for the suspects.
Meanwhile in the latest development another four Indian poachers were nabbed by the navy along with a boat for alleged fishing in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
The four were nabbed on late Wednesday and later handed over to the fishing authorities for follow up action, Navy Spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said.
The interception was made during an operation conducted off the Kovilan Lighthouse, Jaffna on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka Navy says that they continue to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.
With this recent apprehension, the Navy has seized a total of 47 Indian trawlers and 345 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters in 2024, and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings.
