Srilanka, June 29 -- Sri Lanka has categorically stated that Katchatheevu Island will not be ceded to any country under any circumstances, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar said.

The assertion comes in response to recent remarks by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who said last friday that Sri Lankan authorities were arresting Indian fishermen because of an emergency-era agreement that gave up fishing rights in some areas.

Chandrasekar strongly refuted the claims, emphasizing that illegal fishing by Indian trawlers in Sri Lanka's northern waters is severely damaging marine ecosystems.

He warned that such activities threaten the livelihoods of over 30% of the Northern population, which depends on fishing.

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