TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Marine and Fisheries Affairs Ministry destroyed 23 foreign fishing boats entering Indonesian waters to steal fishes. "Task Force 115 managed to catch 23 foreign vessels," Marine and Fisheries Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said in a press conference on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
The vessels, which originated from two countries, Vietnam (13 vessels) and Malaysia (10 vessels), were destroyed at 10:45 AM Western Indonesia Time on Tuesday in separate places.
Minister Susi said that currently, illegal fishing activities are mainly concentrated in the Natuna area, northern part of Sulawesi and north of Morotai. "In the northern part of Sulawesi [illegal fishers] mostly catch tuna," Susi said.
The ship destroying process was held in cooperation with the Indonesian Navy, National Police, Marine Security Agency and the Attorney General's Office. "The government will not stop in eradicating illegal fishing," Susi said.
DIKO OKTARA