Forty-one Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy have been repatriated by authorities, the Indian mission in Colombo said on Wednesday.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.
“41 Indian fishermen successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka! They are currently on their way home,” the Indian High Commission in Colombo said on ‘X’.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan Navy personnel arresting Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several 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.
--Agencies
