Sri Lanka said Tuesday that it has arrested 25 Indian fishermen who were fishing illegally in its territorial waters, just days after the two countries released hundreds of detained fishermen and their fisheries ministers agreed to cooperate in combatting poaching, according to AP. Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said the fishermen were arrested Monday night in the island's northern seas and were handed over to fisheries officials who will initiate legal action against them. Poaching has become a contentious issue between the two countries. Last week, Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne held talks with his Indian counterpart, Sharad Pawar, in New Delhi on the release of detained fishermen and long-term measures to prevent unlawful fishing in each side's waters. They agreed to set up a committee of senior officials to discuss the issue. On the eve of the talks, India released 163 Sri Lankan fishermen and Sri Lanka freed 168 Indians. That leaves 18 Sri Lankan fishermen still held in India and 115 Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka, said Narendra Rajapaksa, spokesman for the Fisheries Ministry. Before the releases, a total of 283 Indian and 181 Sri Lankan fishermen were in custody.
