A Sri Lankan fishing vessel was damaged after it collided with an Indian fishing vessel, which Sri Lankan Navy alleged was illegally venturing into  Sri Lankan territorial water on Wednesday night. The navy later rescued the fishermen from the damaged boat.

The incident happened on Wednesday near Kachchativu island when 200 Indian fishing vessels ventured into the Sri Lankan waters, the Sri Lankan Navy said. A special operation was launched on the same day with two ships attached with Northern Naval Command to prevent illegal fishing, reported News 1st.

In a statement, the Sri Lankan Navy said on the night of 15th December, a Sri Lankan Navy ship patrolling in seas south of the Delft Island spotted a local fishing trawler (Reg. No. 1DAY-A-0137-JFN) in distress after an Indian poaching vessel collided with it, causing serious damage to the tiller flat area of the local vessel.

Further, the vessel's propeller was severely damaged with an entanglement of ropes and nets of the Indian poaching vessels, the navy said. No injuries have been caused to the fishermen in the incident.

The area near the Kachchativi island is a regular site of confrontation between Indian fishing vessels and the Sri Lankan Navy, with the former often drifting into the latter's territorial waters for a better catch. Sri Lankan fishermen have long been complaining about bottom trawling by Indian fishing vessels and seeking a ban on it. 

Sri Lanka Navy regularly conducts operations to prevent illegal bottom trawling fishing practices of Indian poaching vessels entering Sri Lankan waters. However, coercive action often stirs politics in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and draws sharp responses from the Indian government as well. 

(SAM)