Seven Rameswaram fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy near Katchatheevu islet
Fishermen leaders have condemned the incident and urged the governments to get them released at the earliest
On November 1, 2026, seven fishermen from the Rameswaram and Thangachimadam regions in Tamil Nadu were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, accused of poaching in international waters. According to the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department, the fishermen were apprehended at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, near the Katchatheevu islet and Mannar North.
They were taken to a naval port in Sri Lanka, along with their trawler. The fishermen were later released, having been issued 398 tokens, with their return to shore planned for the evening of the same day. The names of the detained fishermen were Placius, Alagu Pandi, Antony Pitchai, Rabin, Nelson, Arulananda Xavier, and Sahaya Anand.
Fishermen leaders have strongly condemned the incident, urging the governments to release the fishermen as soon as possible. They have also announced a meeting of all fishing associations in the coastal district to decide on the subsequent steps. This incident, which comes just before the Deepavali festival, has been met with shock and disappointment by the fishing community.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
