Sri Lanka releases 14 Indian fishermen as special gesture during PM Modi’s visit

The Indian fishermen were released as Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake toured the historic city of Anuradhapura and launched two India-backed railway projects. The issue of fishermen had figured in talks between the two leaders on Saturday, which resulted in several agreements to bolster cooperation in diverse areas.

According to official figures from the Sri Lankan side, some 140 Indian fishermen – a majority of them from Tamil Nadu – have been arrested and their boats seized this year on charges of poaching in the island nation’s waters. The issue is politically sensitive, with the Tamil Nadu government pressuring the Centre to take up the release of the fishermen with Sri Lankan authorities.

At a media interaction with Dissanayake in Colombo on Saturday, Modi said the two sides had discussed issues related to the livelihood of fishermen. “We agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter,” he said, speaking in Hindi.

“We also emphasised the immediate release of the fishermen and their boats,” Modi said.

The issue of the detention of Indian fishermen had become contentious after some incidents in which Sri Lankan Navy personnel used force or opened fire during operations in the Palk Strait, the narrow strip of water separating the two countries. India had lodged a diplomatic protest in January after five Indian fishermen were injured when the Sri Lankan Navy opened fire while apprehending a group of fishermen.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing in Colombo on Saturday that Modi and Dissanayake had discussed the issue of fishermen in considerable detail. He pointed out that Modi had emphasised the need to “adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach” on this issue because it impacts the livelihood of fishermen from both countries.

“The prime minister emphasised that at the end of the day, it is a daily issue for the fishermen and that certain actions that have been taken in recent times could be reconsidered,” Misri said.

Both sides emphasised the need to intensify institutional discussions on handling the issue of detained fishermen. An India-Sri Lanka joint working group on fishermen held a meeting last October, while representatives of the Coast Guards of the two countries often engage on the repatriation of fishermen, and their latest meeting was held last November.

“Both sides are in touch with each other on the possibility of convening the next round of fishermen’s association talks between Sri Lanka and India. The idea is to continue this engagement and arrive at mutually acceptable ways to avoid some of the more difficult situations that arise as a result of this issue,” Misri said.

The reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration in the US on trade partners across the world also figured in Saturday’s meeting between Modi and Dissanayake. Sri Lanka’s exports to the US have been hit with 44% reciprocal tariffs, a move that will impact the country’s garments sector. The US is Sri Lanka’s largest export destination, and garment exports alone are worth more than $1.5 billion annually.

Misri told the media briefing that the US tariffs have “impacted everybody” and Sri Lanka too is dealing with the issue. Dissanayake emphasised the impact of such geoeconomic developments on Sri Lanka, especially in view of the country’s situation following the economic crisis of 2022.

In this context, Dissanayake pointed to the importance of strengthening the relationship between India and Sri Lanka “even further, especially in the economic space, in order to deal with the fallout of some of these developments”, Misri said.