08 Nov 2026 | By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
Death threats issued by an unidentified Sri Lankan fisherman aboard a boat facing hundreds of Tamil Nadu fishing trawlers on 25 October have prompted the Tamil Nadu Police to warn Indian fishermen against entering Sri Lankan waters, escalating tensions between fishing communities on both sides of the Palk Strait.
The fisherman, standing aboard a boat and using a speaker, faced the gathered Indian trawlers and made the announcement.
Following the threat made on 25 October by the Sri Lankan fisherman, who warned that Indian trawlers entering Sri Lankan waters would be bombed and their crews killed, the Tamil Nadu Police deployed vehicles equipped with loudspeakers across the Rameswaram coastal area, warning fishermen not to venture into Sri Lankan waters.
The announcements reportedly cautioned fishermen against destroying Sri Lankan fishing nets and warned that they could face arrest by Sri Lankan authorities if they entered the country’s waters. The restrictions on fishing trips were communicated during the period from 25 to 31 October.
The threat, which was circulated in a social media video uploaded by a media outlet without identifying the individual, contained warnings of violence against Indian fishermen.
“We will come in boats fitted with two engines and assault you here. We will kill you and feed your flesh to the fish. Just as the Americans attacked the Iranians, we will attack you. This is a warning. We will do this. You are eating into our lives. We will destroy every boat,” the unidentified speaker said.
Referring to the destruction of Sri Lankan fishing nets, he claimed that each fishermen had already suffered losses of approximately Rs. 1.5 million.
“They come, destroy our nets, switch off their trawler lights, and slowly leave. Each person is losing Rs. 1.5 million. Just imagine what happens when five such nets are destroyed. We are informing you today. If you come again, we will take measures. There will be more than 1,000 boats ready to attack you,” he warned.
The fisherman also said that Sri Lankan fishermen did not want Indian fishermen to lose their lives as had happened in the past, but warned that continued destruction of their livelihoods would eventually lead to confrontation.
The Police announcements in Tamil Nadu also referred to Cyclone Arnab, suggesting that some Indian fishermen had ventured into Sri Lankan waters because of the cyclone. However, Sri Lankan fishermen disputed this explanation, saying the destruction of their nets could not simply be attributed to cyclone-related movements.
SL fishermen decry livelihood losses
While the threats have raised concerns among Indian fishermen, their Sri Lankan counterparts say the continued intrusion of Indian bottom trawlers is pushing their fishing industry towards collapse. Following the ‘threat,’ many Sri Lankan fishermen posted videos to expose their grievances on social media.
“Nearly Rs. 1.5 million worth of nets have been destroyed by bottom trawlers, yet we still have to go to the same sea in the same boats. Many boats have stopped going out to sea. Our newly purchased nets have been destroyed and our livelihoods have been drastically impacted. Sri Lankan coastal fishermen are in serious trouble.
“We need a permanent solution. Otherwise, give us the power to take over these trawlers. We have even pawned our jewellery to purchase fishing equipment. We have gone out into the deep sea searching for our nets, but found nothing,” a fisherman said, describing the losses suffered. He showed the torn fishing nets and damaged thick fibre ropes.
The fisherman, who posted the video on Facebook, said the nets and connecting ropes had been completely destroyed. The nets, which had been newly purchased for prawn fishing in the deeper parts of Sri Lanka’s waters, were long, interconnected ones, with the total loss estimated at approximately Rs. 1.5 million each. “I scolded them using obscene language, but I cannot help how I feel,” he said.
In another video, fishermen accused Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar of failing to take meaningful action to address the long-standing issue.
“We are always told that discussions will be held with the Indian Government, but nothing has happened. From Neduntheevu to Talaimannar and Pesalai, fishermen have suffered losses. Will the Government compensate us? It has taken credit for fish exports, but nothing has been done for us,” one fisherman said.
He questioned why the Government could not protect Sri Lankan waters when foreign trawlers were allegedly operating close to the country’s coastline. “Foreign trawlers are allowed to enter our waters, but the Government cannot protect even 25 kilometres of our sea. The distance from Talaimannar to Katchatheevu is around 25 km and from Katchatheevu to Neduntheevu it is only 12 km. Why can’t this be stopped?”
“Every fisherman is now being reduced to a beggar. This should not happen to fishermen. Why not stop this instead of making us beg for help?” another fisherman asked.
He said fishermen from Neduntheevu, Katchatheevu, and Mannar were left without an income and were struggling to repay loans taken to purchase fishing engines and equipment. “You can take any decision you want. If the Navy stationed at Katchatheevu cannot stop these trawlers, then we will go to Katchatheevu and monitor the situation ourselves,” he said.
The anger among northern fishermen has also resulted in protests and a halt to fishing activities.
Fishermen from the Neduntheevu Fishermen’s Association have reportedly stopped going to sea following the threat issued by the unidentified fisherman, while more than 500 boats have remained ashore for seven days in protest against the continued destruction of their fishing gear.
One fisherman said that the community was already burdened by loans taken to purchase boats, engines, and fishing equipment. “Why is this continuing when we are fishing in our own waters? We have no idea why this is happening. The banks are taking away our earnings to recover the loans we have taken. Our boats and engines were purchased through loans,” he said.
The fishermen warned that the continued destruction of their nets was making it increasingly difficult for them to sustain their families and meet their financial obligations.
Rameswaram fishermen protest restrictions
Meanwhile, fishermen in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu held a protest over restrictions affecting their livelihoods, particularly the use of mechanised fibre boats. They also expressed concern over the difficulties faced by their Sri Lankan counterparts, saying that both fishing communities needed support rather than further confrontation.
They said they needed fibre boats to continue fishing within the permitted nine-nautical-mile limit and maintained that relying exclusively on traditional wooden canoes was not a feasible alternative. Around 500 fishermen have reportedly been affected by the restrictions of fibre boats, with the fishing community estimating daily losses of approximately INR 300,000.
The fishermen have also demanded fuel subsidies from the Tamil Nadu Government, while the Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the Tamil Nadu Government to intervene.
They said the restrictions on fibre boats had been imposed during the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam conflict in 1983 and questioned why similar restrictions were being enforced at present. The fishermen stressed that they needed fibre boats rather than mechanised trawlers to sustain their livelihoods and said the protests were aimed at securing permission to resume fishing.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning , Federation of Jaffna District Fisheries Cooperative Societies Unions President Annalingam Annarasa said that efforts were being made to identify the individual who had issued the threatening message to Indian fishermen.
“We are checking the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu areas to identify who issued this message. However, following that threat, tensions have been escalating and threats are now also being issued against us. This is not what we want to see,” he said.
Annarasa said the Jaffna association represented approximately 17,000 families, comprising around 50,000 fishermen and members.
“We are trying to find out who sent this message to the Indian fishermen. We do not mind people expressing their anger, but they should identify themselves. This is a death threat and this is not what we want. A dispute between fishing communities is not what we want. This issue has to be resolved through diplomatic channels,” he said.
Annarasa said the anger among Sri Lankan fishermen was understandable given the destruction of their nets and the continuing damage to the local fishing industry. However, he stressed that threats to kill fellow fishermen could not be condoned.
He also said that the Indian Government was providing motorboats to the Ministry of Fisheries to monitor or inspect fishing activities, but argued that this was not the solution required to address the long-standing dispute.
Recalling India’s position on bottom trawling, Annarasa said the commitment to completely prohibit bottom trawling in Sri Lankan waters had been communicated in 2016, when Dr. S. Jaishankar was India’s Foreign Secretary. He said that Dr. Jaishankar, who is now India’s External Affairs Minister, should revisit that commitment.
Annarasa further criticised Fisheries Minister Chandrasekar, saying that although the Minister had made repeated public comments, fishermen had yet to see serious action to resolve the problem.
He also questioned the Government’s priorities, pointing out that India had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sri Lanka to provide 430 electric motorbikes, worth Rs. 265 million, as a grant for field officers in Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector, while the long-standing fishing dispute remained unresolved.
“The Minister went and said ‘thank you’ for the motorbikes. However, he is yet to issue a statement on this incident,” Annarasa said.
He further revealed that National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) officials had visited the Northern Province in 2023 to meet fishermen and collect information on damage caused to marine resources due to fishing trawlers.
According to Annarasa, the officials had distributed forms to fishermen to document their individual losses and assess the wider destruction caused to marine resources by bottom trawling. “However, the report has still not been released,” he said.
Fisheries Minister promises discussions with Tamil Nadu
Speaking to The Sunday Morning , Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar said that a team of Government officials would visit Tamil Nadu in November to discuss the issue with the State Government.
He said that he would not personally be travelling to Tamil Nadu at this stage. “First, we will send a team of Government officials to speak to the Tamil Nadu Government. Then we will decide on the next step,” he said.
The Minister acknowledged that the issue had persisted for a long period without a proper resolution. Chandrasekar has consistently maintained that Sri Lankan fishermen have become caught up in local political dynamics surrounding the dispute. He described the particular threat against Indian fishing trawlers as an incident that occurred frequently in the context of the long-standing tensions.
However, he also acknowledged that Indian trawlers should not enter Sri Lankan waters and destroy the livelihoods of local fishermen.
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