Context: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government alleged that the bodies which washed ashore in Sri Lanka belonged to four Indian fishermen and that they were beaten to death by the Lankan Navy.

Reason behind the Conflict

• Fishermen from Rameswaram and nearby coasts continue to sail towards Talaimannar and Katchatheevu coasts, a region famous for rich maritime resources in Sri Lanka.
• Plenty of catch in this region has triggered a proliferation of fishing trawlers in Tamil Nadu coast in the past three decades.
• At the time of the Sri Lankan civil war, Indian fishermen’s access to Sri Lankan water was easier.
• Sri Lanka remained preoccupied with its war against the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
• Absence of poor Tamil fishermen of Sri Lanka due to the war also favored fishing by Indian trawlers.
• With the civil war ending in 2009, arrests and attacks increased on Indian fishermen as they continued fishing in Lankan waters because of depletion of marine resources on the Indian side.

About Katchatheevu Island

• Katchatheevu is an uninhabited island in the Palk Strait administered by Sri Lanka.
• The island is located between Neduntheevu, Sri Lanka and Rameswaram, India and has been traditionally used by both Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian fishermen.
• In 1974, the disputed island was ceded to Sri Lanka after an agreement was signed between the two countries.
• The agreement allows Indian fishermen “access to Katchatheevu for rest, for drying of nests and for the annual St Anthony’s festival” but it did not ensure the traditional fishing rights.

What are Trawlers?

• Trawlers are mechanized boats with highly exploitative fishing nets compared to the traditional fishing methods.
• Each trawler in Tamil Nadu travels up to 18 kms towards Talaimannar and Katchatheevu in search of better catch.
• Hoping for better profits, too many people started buying trawlers in Rameswaram and nearby Tamil Nadu coasts.