Sri Lankan Navy said the 19 Indian fishermen who were arrested within the maritime boundaries of Sri Lanka were engaged in fishing activities using bottom trawling.

The arrest fishermen and their boats have now been handed over to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department in Jaffna for legal action.

Sri Lankan fishermen and Tamil Nadu fishermen representatives who had lengthy discussions on January 27 agreed  to stop bottom and double trawling fishing methods for a period of one month, a Fisheries Ministry spokesman told ‘Asian Mirror’.

Bottom and double trawling are destructive fishing methods that destroy sea plants, corals and other resources in the sea. Such methods are often used my Tamil Nadu fishermen who poach into the maritime waters of Sri Lanka. The spokesman said such violations would hamper the ongoing dialogue between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen over several key issues.