New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- The Bay of Bengal is becoming steadily important to South Asia's strategic landscape. Connecting India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other regional economies, it supports commercial shipping, fishing livelihoods, and growing maritime cooperation. Yet the region's security impediments are often approached primarily through naval competition, territorial disputes, and the protection of strategic interests. This perspective neglects a critical dimension: the coastal communities whose livelihoods and everyday activities are directly shaped by maritime governance.

The fishing communities of northern Sri Lanka, particularly those operating in Palk Bay, offer an important example of this challenge. Their experiences ...