27 Tamil Nadu fishermen, 249 boats in Sri Lankan custody as of 31 July 2026

The question asked the Ministry of External Affairs to provide data on Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka, details of diplomatic interventions, financial aid provided, and proposals for a permanent bilateral mechanism to prevent such incidents.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Raja A Thiru Arun Nehru; Answered by the Ministry of External Affairs (Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar).

What the government said

• 27 Tamil Nadu fishermen and 249 boats were in Sri Lankan custody as of 31 July 2026.
• 119 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended and 17 boats confiscated in 2026 (as of 31 July).
• 526 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended in 2024, the highest figure in the provided five-year period.
• Financial assistance for legal aid and repatriation was ₹6,838,142 in 2025-26, ₹6,121,124 in 2024-25, and ₹5,521,638 in 2023-24.
• The government cites the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana as an initiative for fishermen's livelihood.
• Issues are addressed through the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries and regular visits by Indian Mission officials to detention centres.

Also in the document

• The answer does not explicitly state whether a new permanent bilateral mechanism has been proposed or agreed upon, only that existing mechanisms like the JWG are used.
• The answer does not provide a specific assessment of the economic impact on families, but lists the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana as a general initiative for livelihood.