The Navy and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is scheduled on Wednesday to sink 41 vessels that were caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters, after recently receiving court decisions declaring them guilty of poaching
he Navy and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is scheduled on Wednesday to sink 41 vessels that were caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters, after recently receiving court decisions declaring them guilty of poaching.
'All of the 41 boats will be sunk on May 20 at 10 a.m. The boats originated from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Malaysia and the Philippines,' the ministry's director general for maritime and fisheries resources surveillance Asep Burhanuddin said.
The ministry, according to Asep, will sink 19 boats, while the Navy will handle the rest.
'The ministry will sink the boats currently docked in Aceh, Medan in North Sumatra, Pontianak in West Kalimantan and Bitung in North Sulawesi while the Navy will sink the boats in Ranai and Tanjung Balai in Riau Islands,' Asep said.
Between October 2014 and March 2015, the ministry and the Navy sunk 18 boats from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, igniting regional diplomatic uproar.
During the period, the government also detained at least eight Chinese vessels for illegal fishing, but has thus far held back from sinking them as a result of intense diplomatic pressure from Beijing. (nan/ren)(++++)
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