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COLOMBO, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Navy arrested 10 Indian fishermen for poaching illegally in waters South of Delft Island, in the country's north, on Tuesday, the navy media unit said here.
One Indian fishing trawler was also taken into custody. The arrested fishermen were brought to the Naval Base SLNS Elara and were handed over to the Jaffna Assistant Director of Fisheries for onward legal action.
The arrest came a day after the Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera said that Indian fishermen will continue to be arrested if they poach in Sri Lankan waters.
Quoted in local media reports, Amaraweera said the government was also looking at resolving the Indo-Lanka fishing dispute in a diplomatic manner and talks would be held as scheduled next month.
Fishermen in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu recently issued an ultimatum to Sri Lanka and India, demanding that concrete steps be taken to address the Indo-Lanka fishing dispute, failing which the situation may spiral out of control.
The warning was issued after a Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed earlier this month allegedly by the Sri Lanka Navy.
The Sri Lankan Navy and Foreign Ministry have denied the allegations stating that a shooting incident did not take place.
