The Sri Lanka Navy assisted the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to arrest 17 Indian fishermen for poaching in local waters on Wednesday, the navy media unit said here.

Two Indian fishing trawlers were also taken into custody when the fishermen were arrested in East of Point Pedro, in the island's northern seas.

The navy said that the arrested fishermen along with the fishing trawlers were handed over to the Jaffna Fisheries Inspectorate for onward action.

Sri Lanka and India have been trying to resolve the long standing fishermen issue with fishermen from both sides having to face arrest and boats being detained when they stray into each other's waters illegally.

Both India and Sri Lanka have held several discussions in the past and have agreed to find a lasting solution to resolve the issue.

Source:XINHUA