Piracy hits eastern seas off Sri Lanka

• Multi-day vessels robbed of fish catch, fishing gear 
• Minister urges security forces to act to curb piracy 

Piracy has emerged in the eastern waters of Sri Lanka with organised criminal gangs robbing multi-day boats of their catch and fishing gear, a Minister said yesterday.  

Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources and Marine Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekaran told Daily Mirror that he called upon the security forces to implement appropriate measures to prevent incidents of piracy along Sri Lanka’s Eastern seaboard.  

This request was made during a high-level meeting convened in Parliament on June 19, 2025. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Members of Parliament, senior officers of the Tri-Forces, the Sri Lanka Police, and other government officials.  

The discussion focused extensively on the ongoing threat of piracy in the eastern coastal waters, particularly its impact on fishermen in the Ampara and Batticaloa Districts. The adverse consequences of these activities on both the livelihoods of local fishing communities and the marine ecosystem were examined in depth.  

A. Adambawa, MP and Chairman of the Ampara District Coordination Committee, had previously submitted a formal letter highlighting the detrimental effects of illegal fishing practices in the region.  

Participants at the meeting emphasised the urgent need to comprehensively review the situation, enhance maritime security enforcement, and safeguard the welfare of fishing communities. It was agreed that a multi-pronged approach is essential, encompassing immediate interventions, medium-term action plans, and long-term strategic frameworks to effectively address illegal fishing and piracy in the Eastern coastal waters of Sri Lanka.  

A follow-up special discussion on this matter is scheduled to take place in Batticaloa on June 26, 2025, under the chairmanship of Minister Chandrasekaran.