Sri Lanka, Jan. 15 -- While authorities are yet to find a lasting solution to illegal fishing and repeated incursions into Sri Lankan territorial waters by Indian fishermen, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) has taken strict action against local fishermen engaged in illegal fishing practices and the deliberate tampering of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS).

Effective from February 1, 2026, a strict six-month fishing ban will be imposed under existing laws on the pilot and entire crew of any vessel found to have violated foreign maritime boundaries or deliberately disabled the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

The Department said the decision was taken to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activiti...