Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry detained a Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel conducting illegal fishing activity in Indonesia's Fisheries Management Area (WPPNRI) 571 at the Malacca Strait.
"Our officers managed to arrest a Malaysian-flagged illegal fishing vessel SLFA 5219 with a trawler," Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Surveillance (PSDKP) Adin Nurawaluddin noted in his official statement here on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Nurawaluddin revealed, the authority has also detained four Indonesians who were the captain and crew members of the vessel.
The arrest has demonstrated that Indonesian fishermen were still conducting illegal fishing aboard foreign vessels in the Indonesian seas.
Prior to the detention on September 26, 2021, the Hiu 17 Patrol Ship had to chase down the perpetrators.
The director general informed that currently the boat and its crew members were taken to the PSDKP’s Batam Base for further legal proceedings.
"We frequently encounter this modus operandi, especially in WPPNRI 571 at the Malacca Strait. They hired Indonesian fishermen to conduct illegal fishing in our waters," he stated.
Meanwhile, Director of Fleet Monitoring and Operations Pung Nugroho Saksono has noted that in recent years, the directorate had secured several Malaysian vessels operated by Indonesian fishermen.
He informed that in 2020, as many as eight ships, with 29 Indonesian crew members, were successfully arrested. In 2021, some nine boats and 32 Indonesian workers were detained at Malacca Strait to date.
"In two years, 61 Indonesian fishermen have worked on Malaysian boats and conducted illegal fishing in the Indonesian territory. It must be a matter of concern for all of us," he remarked.
Furthermore, Saksono ensured that his staff will take firm action against the perpetrators of illegal fishing in accordance with Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister’s directive to ensure that the Directorate General of PSDKP serves as the protector of Indonesia’s marine and fishery resources.
In 2021, the ministry had detained 140 vessels in total comprising some 92 Indonesian fishing boats violating the provisions and 48 foreign fishing ships caught stealing fish.
The foreign fishing boats captured were 17 Malaysian-flagged vessels, six Philippine-flagged vessels, and 25 Vietnamese-flagged vessels.
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