CHENNAI: Ten fishermen from Nagapattinam have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy from near Neduntheevu (Delft Island) for crossing the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in their territorial waters, according to Thanthi TV. Their mechanised fishing boats were seized, too.

The arrested fishermen were taken to the Kankesanthurai fishing harbour in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and handed over to the fisheries officials.

37 Tamil Nadu fishermen are already in Sri Lankan jails.

With this, the total number of such arrests have gone up to over 190 this year.

The majority of these incidents happen in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka’s northern tip, which is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the Sri Lanka Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for illegally entering Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

(With PTI inputs)