(COLOMBO) – A group of 22 Indian poachers were nabbed by the Sri Lankan Navy during the early hours of Saturday along with two fishing vessels in the island-nation’s northern seas, a senior naval official said.
The group was rounded up during a routine search operation in the area known for an high activity of poaching by Indian fishermen, Navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasinghe said.
He added several more poachers were chased away into Indian waters.
“This is a frequent occurrence. It was only earlier this week that a batch of 21 Indian poachers were released from a holding facility and sent back to India.
Bur despite all these efforts they just keeping coming back”, Capt. Wickramasinghe said.
He accused the Indian poachers of resorting to bottom trawling and other irregular methods of fishing that has led to a gradual destruction of the marine environment.
A lasting solution to the issue could only be reached through diplomatic channels between the two countries although such attempts in the past had failed, he said.
The Indian menace has also disrupted the livelihood of the local people that depend on fishing for their daily upkeep, he said.
Some 196 Indian fishermen along with 29 trawlers have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy from the start of this year.
They were later handed over to the relevant authorities for forward action and subsequently released after a few days in custody, according to Captain Wickramasinghe.
“However, the boats are not returned and are later auctioned”, he said.
