-By LeN Defence Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -04.June.2025, 11.00 PM) A tense maritime confrontation unfolded off the coast of Trincomalee on Tuesday, as Sri Lanka Navy personnel clashed with a group of fishermen suspected of engaging in illegal poaching within restricted waters. The incident, which escalated dramatically during a routine enforcement operation near Kuchchaveli, has ignited fresh debates over maritime law enforcement, fisherfolk livelihoods, and the mounting pressure in Sri Lanka’s fragile marine zones.
The Sri Lanka Navy, acting on intelligence regarding illegal fishing activities, deployed a patrol unit in the early hours of June 3rd. What began as a standard interdiction exercise soon spiralled into a near-violent altercation involving eleven vessels manned by local fishermen. Navy sources confirmed that a heated confrontation ensued after the suspected vessels were approached and ordered to halt operations.
According to official statements released by the Navy, the situation intensified when the fishing group attempted to flee the scene. One of the Navy's Fast Attack Craft (FAC) was allegedly encircled by multiple fishing boats in what officers described as an “aggressive manoeuvre,” evidently aimed at intimidating or obstructing naval personnel from boarding and inspecting the vessels.
Rear Admiral (Retd) Ratnayake, a maritime security expert, told Lankaenews: “This kind of encirclement is extremely dangerous. It’s not only an act of defiance but could be interpreted as hostile, especially when you’re dealing with a security force that is mandated to protect the nation’s waters from threats – whether illegal fishing, trafficking or smuggling.”
Navy personnel onboard the FAC attempted to de-escalate the confrontation through verbal warnings and non-lethal deterrence, officials say. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly when members of the fishing group allegedly tried to seize weapons from naval personnel, prompting one officer to discharge warning shots into the air.
It was in the melee that a 23-year-old fisherman sustained a gunshot wound. Navy spokesperson told Lankaenews that the discharge was “accidental but occurred in the context of extreme provocation and threat.” The injured individual, whose identity is being withheld for legal reasons, was rushed to Trincomalee District General Hospital where he remains in stable condition. Medical staff confirmed that he had suffered a soft tissue injury to the thigh.
The Sri Lanka Navy has launched an internal inquiry into the incident, promising full cooperation with civilian authorities and human rights monitors.
“The use of force is always a last resort,” Captain Wickremasinghe added. “But when an attempt is made to seize a military weapon, the rules of engagement permit defensive action, particularly to prevent loss of life or compromise of national security assets.”
In the wake of the incident, fishermen and residents of Kuchchaveli launched a spontaneous protest, blocking roads and demanding an immediate investigation. Some demonstrators carried placards denouncing “military brutality” while others called for an end to what they perceive as harassment by authorities in the name of ocean protection.
“This is not the first time our people have been treated like criminals,” said Anbarasan, a local fishermen’s union leader. “We are forced into these waters because we have no fish left near the shore. The government doesn’t support us. The Navy comes in like we are smugglers or pirates. What choice do we have?”
The protest remained peaceful but underscored the growing resentment among coastal communities who feel marginalised by sweeping conservation and security measures that restrict traditional fishing grounds.
The dispute brings into focus the thorny legal grey areas that fishermen operate in, particularly in the post-war Eastern waters where regulatory boundaries, national jurisdiction, and traditional fishing routes often blur.
“The issue here is not just legality, but legitimacy,” noted Professor Rupasinghe, a legal scholar at the University of Colombo. “These fishermen may very well be in violation of maritime law, but their actions are borne out of desperation and systemic neglect. Enforcement without livelihood alternatives only breeds confrontation.”
Sri Lanka’s marine enforcement has grown more robust in recent years, particularly following its accession to various global agreements on marine biodiversity, including the BBNJ treaty signed earlier this year. With stricter controls on marine exploitation, coupled with depleted nearshore fish stocks, small-scale fishermen are increasingly forced into high-risk zones.
What is perhaps most troubling about Tuesday’s incident is how it epitomises a wider pattern – the creeping militarisation of Sri Lanka’s coastal governance. The Navy, while critical in protecting against illegal trafficking and safeguarding marine biodiversity, is increasingly finding itself at odds with coastal populations.
Critics argue that the government’s maritime policies disproportionately favour international conservation protocols and foreign donor expectations over the survival of local communities.
Dr. Thilini Perera, a researcher in fisheries policy, points to the “disconnect between the blue economy ambitions of the state and the realities of those who live by the sea.”
“Institutionally, there is a push towards high-tech surveillance, international agreements, and regional naval cooperation. But the small-time fisher, with his catamaran and net, is left behind in this transformation. What happened in Trinco is symptomatic of a deeper policy failure,” she said.
Trincomalee itself is no stranger to maritime disputes. With a coastline rich in natural resources and a naval base of strategic importance, it has long been a theatre of conflict – first during the civil war, and now as the government asserts post-war sovereignty over its marine spaces.
“Old battlelines have been replaced with new ones,” remarked Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekara. “Where once we fought insurgents, today we fight for environmental integrity, sovereignty, and the economic future of the nation. But we must not lose sight of the human cost. That fisherman is a Sri Lankan citizen too.”
The timing of the incident is also diplomatically sensitive. With the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and Sri Lanka’s recent accession to the BBNJ Agreement, Colombo is under international scrutiny regarding its treatment of marine stakeholders.
“We cannot afford to alienate our own people at a time when we are asking the world to support our marine conservation agenda,” said Dr. Malini De Zoysa, a diplomat and advisor on Sri Lanka’s ocean policy. “This incident, if mishandled, could undermine our credibility.”
Human rights organisations including Amnesty International and local watchdogs have expressed concern. “We will be closely monitoring the Navy’s investigation. There must be transparency and accountability,” said a spokesperson for the South Asian Centre for Human Rights.
Experts agree that the solution lies not in the hardening of lines between enforcement and livelihood, but in bridging them through co-management models.
“Rather than criminalise fishermen, we must empower them,” said Dr. Amarapala from NARA. “Let them be part of marine protection, train them as custodians, not culprits. That is the future.”
The Ministry of Fisheries, in coordination with the Ministry of Defence and the Presidential Secretariat, has called for an emergency consultative forum in Trincomalee next week, bringing together fisherfolk representatives, naval commanders, environmentalists, and lawmakers.
For the young fisherman now recovering in a Trinco hospital bed, and for the thousands like him who venture into the Indian Ocean each day with little more than hope and a wooden hull, the stakes have never been higher. As the seas grow more contested, so too does the soul of Sri Lanka’s coastal identity.
What unfolds in the coming days – in courtrooms, in village halls, and in the deep waters off Trincomalee – may well define not only the contours of maritime law, but the very social contract between a nation and its people of the sea.
-By LeN Defence Correspondent
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by (2025-06-04 19:34:29)
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