Indian-Sri Lankan Relations and the Island of Katchatheevu

• The dispute over the island of Katchatheevu dates back to the 1920s, during British colonial times.

• Two bilateral agreements signed in 1974 and 1976 settled the dispute, establishing an International Maritime Boundary Line.

• The island is barren, with no drinking water or sanitation, and is a significant tourist destination in Sri Lanka.

• The issue has been a topic of political debate in India, with politicians arguing that it could boost voter support if presented as a solution to the enduring fisheries conflict affecting Tamil Nadu’s fishermen.

• The issue has been fueled by the political economy of a depleting catch in a narrow stretch of water, with fishermen of south India and northern Sri Lanka resorting to bottom-trawling, a destructive fishing method, to maximize catch and profits.

• The fishermen in northern Sri Lanka, still reeling from the impact of the civil war that ended 16 years ago, argue that they have no chance of rebuilding their livelihoods unless their counterparts across the Palk Strait give up bottom-trawling, a practice banned in Sri Lanka.

• Despite diplomatic and legal resolutions, the issue continues to be a contentious issue, with most arrests of Indian fishermen made well past Katchatheevu, close to Sri Lanka’s northern shores.

Indo-Lanka maritime boundary is important topic for Civil service exam (WBCS).

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