10 Fishing Boats to be Sunk for Poaching

Jakarta, (Antara)- The Indonesian authorities will, on Thursday, sink 10 fishing boats caught poaching in Indonesian waters.

The Task Force of Eradication of Illegal Fishing, or "Satgas 115," would sink the 10 boats, the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry said in a statement, here, Thursday.

The boats would be sunk in four different locations in the country: one in Belawan (North Sumatra), one in Tarempa, Batam (Riau Islands), two in Tarakan (North Kalimantan), and six in Tahuna (North Sulawesi).

The ministry recently deployed four additional patrol boats to strengthen law enforcement activities against foreign vessels found poaching in Indonesian waters.

The ministry currently has a total of 31 patrols boats to guard the Indonesian waters against poachers.

Indonesia has incurred material losses and environmental damage due to illegal fishing activities mostly conducted by foreign fishing boats in its maritime territory.

Therefore, Indonesia has vowed to impose stringent sanctions against the perpetrators of the crimes to serve as a deterrent to other poachers.

The authorities have detained 177 fishing boats for poaching in Indonesian waters.

Of the 177 boats, 107 have been sunk or destroyed, including 103 foreign fishing boats, the secretary general of the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry, Sjarif Widjaja, said in a press conference, here, on Tuesday.

The destroyed foreign boats were 21 from Thailand, 34 from the Philippines, six from Malaysia, 39 from Vietnam, one from China, and two from Papua New Guinea.(*)