Forty-one Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy have been repatriated by authorities here, the Indian mission here said on Wednesday. Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for trespassing into each other’s waters. “41 Indian fishermen successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka! They are currently on their way home,” the Indian High Commission here said on X.

Of the 41 fishermen, 35 were from Ramanathapuram district and had been detained near Katchatheevu on September 8, 2024. The Sri Lankan Navy alleged that they were engaged in cross-border fishing activities, a recurring issue in the region. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan navy even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait—a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka—and seizing their boats.