Assessing Indian-Sri Lankan ties in choppy waters: The fisherman issue vis-à-vis international law

It is imperative to look out for the fishermen and provide them with sustainable alternatives to bottom-trawling, which will secure the future of both the Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen without jeopardising the existing bilateral relationship.

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SRI Lanka is one of India's most important neighbours. It has been a prominent centre for Indian direct investment in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation. After the signing of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in March 2000, trade between both nations increased substantially. According to Sri Lankan Customs, the value of bilateral commerce between the two countries in 2018 was $ 4.93 billion.

Of late, Sri Lanka has been in the grip of a severe financial crisis, and it is rebounding from an unprecedented political crisis. The government of Sri Lanka has taken a desperate step and has decided to take a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and a one billion dollar credit line from India.