Sri Lankan fishermen held in Seychelles

Six Sri Lankan fishermen have been detained in Seychelles, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Monday.

The crew was intercepted over the weekend by the Seychelles Coast Guard.

They have since been produced before court and were remanded pending further investigation by the Seychelles authorities, a senior ministry source said. They said the Sri Lankan High Commission in Seychelles was in touch with the crew members and local authorities.

Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean with a large exclusive economic zone.

Two other Sri Lankan crew members were detained last year on suspicion of illegal fishing, according to the Seychelles Coast Guard.