Vietnam Illegal Fishing Boats Captured at Natuna

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry (KKP) managed to nab six foreign illegal fishing boats operating over Indonesian waters in an operation conducted during the Eid al-Fitr celebration. 

"Our commitment is clear, we will not have Indonesian oceans be unsupervised, even during the Eid national holiday," said KKP secretary-general Antam Novambar in a written statement on Thursday, May 20, 2021. "We continue to monitor the seas."

According to the captain who led the operation, Capt. Samson, authorities 'neutralized' six Vietnamese illegal fishing boats that were fishing for squid in the North Natuna Sea. The fishing boats were BD 30487 TS, BD 30317 TS, BD 30535 TS, BD 30990 TS, BD 31184 TS dan BD 93742 TS.

The boats themselves are held at the ministry's branch office in Pontianak awaiting further legal processes with a total of 36 seamen who are detained along with their large catch. The director of operations and monitoring Pung Nugroho Saksono, explained that the KKP managed to catch the thieves in action through a string of data analysis and air surveillance. 

"We already detected the existence of these fishing boats, which is why we immediately instructed personnel to intercept them," said Saksono.

Throughout 2021, the ministry has apprehended 92 illegal fishing boats that operated under a foreign flag and Indonesian flag. 

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO