COLOMBO: Sri Lankan navy has arrested 30 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in the country's waters, taking the total number of those captured to 56 in the last two days.

After the arrest of 26 Indian fishermen and seizing six trawlers on Friday, another batch of 30 Indian fishermen have been arrested and their six trawlers seized by the Sri Lanka Navy last night, officials said on Sunday.

The Naval spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said that the 30 Indian fishermen and their trawlers were nabbed last night off the coast of Talaimannar in the northern Jaffna peninsula for entering Sri Lankan water limits.

They will be handed over to the Talaimannar police for necessary action.

Meanwhile, the Navy said that 26 arrested on Friday have been ordered to be detained until April 11 by Point Pedro magistrate's court.

Earlier, the Navy had said that 25 Indian fishermen had been arrested on Friday but later corrected that figure, stating that 26 had been arrested.

Illegal fishing by fishermen of both India and Sri Lanka is a recurring problem for the respective authorities.

