Sri Lanka Navy rescues 11 Indian fishermen after their boat meets with accident

Eleven Indian fishermen were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday after their fishing vessel met with an accident in the island nation’s waters, according to an official statement. The accident occurred on a coastal reef off Delft Island, also known as Neduntheevu, located in the Palk Strait off the northern coast of mainland Sri Lanka.

The trawler had reportedly crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters late Wednesday and was allegedly engaged in bottom trawling before it ran aground, according to the Sri Lanka Navy. Sri Lanka Navy’s spokesman Commander Chaminda Walakuluge claimed the Indian vessel was engaged in illegal fishing activities in the island’s waters and met with an accident.

In a statement, the navy confirmed that all 11 fishermen were brought ashore at Delft Island following a rescue operation.

It said the subsequent activities concerning the rescued fishermen are being jointly handled with officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

"Due to the impact of grounding on the reef, the trawler has sustained partial structural damage," the statement said. The development comes a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who was here for a day-long visit, raised with Sri Lankan leaders the issues related to fishermen and requested Colombo’s cooperation for the early release of fishermen and boats detained in the island nation.

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.