'€œThe Thai fishermen will be deported immediately because who will provide them food here? It'€™s only been a day but we have been overwhelmed,'€ Helmi was quoted as saying by Antara news agency on Monday.
 
A joint operation by the police and military on Sunday impounded four out of six trawlers carrying fishermen from Thailand and Myanmar. The fishing ships were caught trawling fish some eight miles from the West Aceh shoreline.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with West Aceh Police, Helmi said the fishermen's haul would be auctioned due to fears of it rotting.

He said it was estimated that each ship had hauled some 10 tons of fish, although he said the exact amount and what kinds of fish being caught were still unknown.

"The fishing ships will also be auctioned after communicating with the Thai ambassador. The policy will be taken by the provincial administration and the police,'€ he said.

He said the West Aceh regency administration would tighten security by adding eight patrols a year, as West Aceh waters were home to abundant amounts of fish and had become a target of illegal fishing.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of the West Aceh Traditional Fishermen Community (Kontan), Indra Jeumpa, said the fishermen'€™s ships were in the 65-gross tonnage (GT) class with a capacity to carry 85 tons of fish.

He said local fishermen had frequently seen foreign ships, but had not challenged the ships thus far.

'€œSecurity should be tightened,'€ he said. (put/nvn)

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