Two Foreign Fishing Vessels Detained for Poaching in Natuna Waters

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry detained two Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessels for illegally poaching fish in the Indonesian Territorial Waters and Fisheries Management Area 711 in Northern Natuna.

"Two foreign fishing vessels were detained," Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision, Tb Haeru Rahayu, noted in a statement received here, Saturday.

Rahayu further confirmed almost no resistance while detaining the vessels during which the crew of the Supervisory Vessel KP. Hiu 03, led by Ardiansyah Pamuji, stripped the vessel allegedly conducting fishing activities by using pair trawl fishing gear.

Rahayu pointed out that this detention differed slightly from the previous arrests, as they were usually marked by acts of chasing and resistance against the Indonesian apparatus.

"Praise be to God (Alhamdulillah), the detention process was relatively unopposed," he revealed.

The director general noted that the operation conducted by the surveillance ship had succeeded in stopping the vessel at coordinates 03 ° 33,381 'N - 105 ° 04,465' East Longitude.

The ship was headed by Lam Van Tung and manned by 17 Vietnamese crew members. Another vessel was also successfully secured at an adjacent location at 03 ° 32,826 'N - 105 ° 05,204' East Longitude.

The second ship was headed by Lam Van Toan and manned by five Vietnamese crew members. The two ships are currently in an ad-hoc process to the Batam Base for further legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, Director of Fleet Monitoring and Operations, Pung Nugroho Saksono, believes that the action by the two Vietnamese-flagged vessels, whose crew surrendered, demonstrated that the persistence of the fisheries supervisory vessel crews had succeeded in creating a deterrent effect on the perpetrators of illegal fishing.

"Our Supervisory Ship crews are very persistent and nimble. That is what we currently believe has had a dreadful, detrimental effect on those poaching fish," he stated.

He further urged his staff to remain vigilant in conducting operations on the field.

A few days earlier, a confrontation took place in the North Natuna Sea during which Malaysian state officials opened fire on Vietnamese fishermen, who resisted by crashing their boats and hurling Molotov bombs at the Malaysian apparatus ships.

During Minister Edhy Prabowo’s leadership term, a total of 54 illegal foreign fishing vessels were detained, comprising 27 Vietnamese-flagged vessels, 14 vessels bearing the Philippines flag, 12 vessels with the Malaysian flag, and one vessel with the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) flag.

Read also: Vietnam Illegal Fishing Ships Arrested in North Natuna Sea

ANTARA