COLOMBO ; India’s Supreme Court has weighed in on the long-running fisheries dispute with Sri Lanka, urging government authorities to sensitise fishermen about international maritime boundaries amid growing concerns over repeated arrests by Sri Lankan authorities.
The Indian Supreme Court has called on the Central Government and the Tamil Nadu State Government to intensify efforts to educate and sensitise fishermen about the international maritime boundary with Sri Lanka, amid continuing arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The observations were made during hearings on petitions challenging what petitioners described as the “unconstitutional ceding” of Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka under the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.
During proceedings, Indian Attorney General R. Venkataramani referred to the recurring issue of Tamil Nadu fishermen being arrested in Sri Lankan waters. Addressing arguments concerning declining fish stocks and environmental degradation along India’s coastline, he stated that many fishermen were venturing into Sri Lankan waters because fish availability on the Indian side had diminished.
According to Venkataramani, overfishing and pollution had significantly impacted marine resources in Indian waters, prompting some fishermen to cross the maritime boundary despite repeated warnings.
