Colombo, Aug 5 (PTI): India on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to cooperate in the early release of Indian fishermen and their boats detained by its authorities, while reiterating that a humanitarian approach should guide the handling of the long-pending issue.
The matter figured prominently during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s discussions with the Sri Lankan leadership during his official visit to Colombo, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Misri arrived in Colombo for a day-long visit. It was his first stand-alone visit to Sri Lanka as Foreign Secretary.
He held separate meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Foreign Secretary Aruni Ranaraja.
During the talks, Misri discussed issues pertaining to fishermen and requested Sri Lanka’s cooperation for the early release of fishermen and boats detained in the island nation, the MEA statement said.
“He also requested that even as bilateral mechanisms continue to work towards finding a resolution of the various issues, a humanitarian approach keeping in view the livelihood requirements of fishermen should continue to guide our approach,” it said.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.
In the last week of July, the Sri Lankan navy arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized their trawler for allegedly poaching in the island nation’s waters.
According to official data, this year, as of April 15, 128 Indian fishermen were arrested, with 18 trawlers being seized by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged poaching. PTI SCY SCY
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