Sri Lanka has arrested 54 Indian fishermen for what it called were poaching illegally in the Sri Lanka waters, reported Daily Mirror. Sri Lankan authorities have informed the Indian High Commission about the arrests, to which they asked Sri Lanka to deal with the matter in a “humanitarian manner”.

Sri Lankan Navy, in a statement, said three Indian fishing vessels, which were caught fishing illegally in the Sri Lankan waters, were seized on Wednesday. 54 Indians were also taken into custody, it said. The Navy also confiscated 1030 kgs of fish from the seized boats. 

In what seems like co-ordinated operations, three naval commands of the Sri Lankan launched patrol operations to curb illegal fishing activities. The vessels were seized from three different locations in the sea. 

“Having considered the impact of foreign fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters on the local fishing community and the sustainability of fishery resources of Sri Lanka, the Navy is conducting regular patrols to curb illegal fishing activities in Sri Lankan waters,” reads the statement. 

Reacting to the incident, the Indian High Commission said the matter should be dealt in a ‘humanitarian manner”.

“Providing immediate consular access and emergency supplies to apprehended fishermen are of prime importance,” a spokesperson of the Indian High Commission was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror. “We are working with (the) Government of Sri Lanka for expeditiously securing consular access for these fishermen.”

He also said the two neighbors have bilateral mechanisms to address these matters. The fishing issue, a perennial problem between the two neighbors, often raises the political temperature in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and especially when elections are around the corner.