Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - Personnel of the Indonesian Navy's observatory post in East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara Province, took a fisherman into arrest on charges of conducting blast fishing on Friday.
"The irresponsible fisherman, identified by his initials as ND, was arrested yesterday since he was strongly believed to have caught fish using bomb in the waters near Deri ferry port on Adonara Island,” Chief of the Kupang Marine and Fishery Resources Supervisory Station Mubarak remarked on Saturday.
The suspect and evidence were handed to the Marine and Fishery Resources Supervisory Station for further legal proceedings, he revealed.
ND was arrested after personnel of the Indonesian Navy's observatory post received a tip-off on a fisherman conducting blast fishing in the waters near the ferry port.
The personnel, in cooperation with the fishery supervisory board, later deployed a sea rider owned by the non-governmental organization WCS to close down on the fisherman.
"Personnel of the Indonesian Navy's observatory post, along with a freelance officer, (chased the suspect) by land," he remarked.
The suspect was arrested after he just moved the fish to the other boat. The suspect first declined the orders of the personnel to hand over the fish on the land.
Earlier, an integrated patrol team of the East Flores District Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office and the Indonesian Navy had apprehended two fishermen on charges of blast fishing.
"The two fishermen were arrested on Friday (Nov 29) at 2 p.m. local time for allegedly catching fish by using explosives in the East Flores waters," Mubarak added.
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