The Palk Bay, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka has historically provided rich fishing grounds for both countries. The bay, is 137 kilometers in length and is divided by the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with five Indian and three Sri Lankan districts bordering it.
The region has become highly contested with the conflict since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009.
The key issues of conflict include disagreement over the territorial rights to the island of Kachchatheevu, frequent poaching by Indian fisherman in Sri Lankan waters and the damaging economic and environmental effects of trawling.
India–Sri Lanka maritime boundary agreements were held in 1974 and 1976 between India and the Sri Lanka that define the international maritime boundary between the two states.
Treaties on maritime boundary were necessary to facilitate law enforcement and resource management and to avoid conflict in the waters since both countries located closely in the Indian Ocean particularly in Palk Strait.
The maritime boundary agreements of 1974 and 1976 delimited international boundaries in the Palk Bay , the Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal to establish good neighborly relations
However, the state of Tamil Nadu considered the ceding of the island of Kachchatheevu in the Palk Bay to Sri Lanka an issue of sovereignty.
