Ambon, Maluku, (Antara) - Marine and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has ordered for the sinking of 81 fishing boats, found guilty of illegal fishing.
The boats were exploded at once in 12 different areas in the country on Saturday with the minister giving the order from this capital city of Maluku.
Six of the vessels belonged to Indonesian fishing companies and the rest were foreign fishing boats including 46 Vietnamese, 18 Philippine and 11 Malaysian ships.
They had been arrested either for poaching in Indonesian waters or for using illegal fishing gears.
The foreign crew have been sent back to their home countries but the skipped were tried and punished.
Indonesia has exploded and sunk hundreds of fishing boats for illegal operation .
From October 2014 to April 2017 , at least 317 fishing boats were destroyed in the sea . The largest number was those of Vietnam (142 units), the Philippines (76 units), Thailand (21 units), Malaysia (49 units), Indonesia (21 units), Papua New Guinea (2 units), China (1 unit) , Belize (1 unit), stateless (4 units).(*)
