Colombo, Dec 11 (PTI) India on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka for the early release of its detained fishermen, stressing a humanitarian and constructive approach to address the issue.

The Sri Lankan Navy this week announced that they have arrested 537 Indian fishermen so far this year for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

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Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha Wednesday met Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and his deputy Ratna Gamage and briefed them on developmental assistance projects in the Fisheries sector.

"Stressed for a humanitarian & constructive approach in addressing the fishermen issue. Requested early release of fishermen in custody," the Indian mission posted on X.

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He highlighted India's strong commitment to the people of Northern Province and briefed them on developmental assistance projects in the Fisheries sector.

Their meeting came days ahead of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's visit to India, where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

Last month, President Dissanayake and Indian High Commissioner Jha held a meeting in which they stressed the importance of a long-term solution to the ongoing fishing disputes between the two nations.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.

In 2023, the island nation's Navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)