The Sri Lankan Navy blocked five mechanised boats and arrested 32 Indian fishermen from Ramanathapuram on Sunday for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka.

In response to the arrests, the fishermen's association in Ramanathapuram has decided to escalate their indefinite strike, which was initially scheduled to begin on February 28.

On Saturday night, around 450 mechanised boats set out to sea from Rameswaram. According to reports, a Sri Lankan Navy patrol unit drove away a group of Indian fishermen who were fishing near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). However, five boats that remained in the waters were blocked, and 32 Indian fishermen were captured.

The detained fishermen have been handed over to the Mannar fisheries department for further legal proceedings.

According to the information from the senior official from the Fisheries Department in Ramanathapuram, the boat owners’s names are F Sesuraja, S Vijayakulam, S Arokiya Mantro of Thangachimadam, M Jeya Prakash of Naripaiyur and Gopal of Mookaiyur.

Over the past two months, the Sri Lankan Navy has arrested a total of 108 fishermen and seized 16 boats from the Ramanathapuram district. Of these, 66 fishermen and 11 boats were captured in February alone.

Fishermen associations have called on the central government to take urgent steps to secure the release of the detained fishermen and recover the confiscated boats. They have also been pressing the government for immediate action to resolve this long-standing issue.

Antony John, a fishermen's association leader from Rameswaram, voiced serious concerns over increasing detentions.

"The Sri Lankan Navy is arresting our fishermen regularly. They have even fired at our men, injuring two of them. This has to stop," he said. He also pointed out the risks fishermen face in Palk Bay, where they are in constant danger of losing their boats, equipment, and livelihoods.

Earlier, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging diplomatic action to ensure the release of the imprisoned fishermen. In his letter, Stalin stressed the severe economic consequences of these repeated arrests and boat seizures.

"The recurring arrests and confiscations have severely affected the livelihoods of our fishermen. Swift diplomatic intervention is essential to safeguard their rights," he stated.