The Supreme Court in Colombo yesterday had moved that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be made a respondent in the fundamental rights petition filed against illegal bottom trawling carried out by the south Indian fishermen in the Sri Lanka waters in the north and northeastern seas.
Sri Lankan fishermen have asked authorities to prevent Indian fishermen from engaging in illegal bottom trawling in the island nation's territorial waters and to direct the Air Force to prevent incursions by Indian trawlers.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.
