The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has actually recorded 3 Malaysian-flagged vessels with foreign fishermen on board for presumably fishing within Indonesia’s exclusive financial zone (EEZ) in the Malacca Strait.
The Navy apprehended 11 Myanmar and six Thai nationals aboard the three fishing vessels.
The KRI Kerambit-627, an Indonesian warship, captured the vessels and their crews and brought them to Belawan Naval Base I (Lantamal I) on Sunday, the base’s representative Maj. Edi Harahap stated.
Back Adm. Abdul Rasyid Kacong, the commander of Naval Fleet I in Belawan, said the KRI Kerambit-627 spotted the foreign vessels while on patrol in Indonesia’s EEZ on Sunday. The warship’s team had actually received details that there might be several foreign vessels fishing in Indonesian waters.
The warship then intercepted the three fishing vessels, codenamed PKFB 1223, PKFB 1928 and PKFB 1791.
Abdul said the team of the KRI Kerambit-627 found more than five tons of fish aboard PKFB 1223, and nabbed its captain, determined as S, together with 5 Burmese team members.
Aboard PKFB 1928, Navy personnel found the ship’s captain, recognized as Z, 4 Burmese team members and more than five tons of fish.
The Navy also discovered more than 6 tons of fish aboard PKFB 1791, which was captained by a person recognized as PK and had five Thai crew members.
” We will continue investigating this case according to the prevailing laws,” Abdul Rasyid stated on Monday, including that the examination would continue at Belawan Naval Base I.
He stated the three foreign vessels and their crew members had actually been captured fishing in Indonesian waters without legal documentation.
The crew members may be charged under Article 92 of Law No. 45/2009 on fishing, which brings an optimal sentence of 8 years in prison and a Rp 20 million (US$ 1.41 million) fine.
Unlawful fishing has prevailed along Indonesia’s maritime borders in the Straits of Malacca and the Natuna Sea.
According to fisheries guard dog Devastating Fishing Watch, authorities took a minimum of 31 foreign fishing vessels within Indonesia’s EEZ in the Natuna waters from June to October of this year.
The group demanded that the government magnify the crackdown on prohibited fishing by foreign vessels, citing concerns about the overexploitation of fish stocks and of territorial sovereignty.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo detained 71 foreign fishing vessels from the start of his period in October 2019 to August of this year.
Former minister Susi Pudjiastuti sunk or took more than 500 foreign vessels for running illegally in Indonesian waters throughout her tenure. (ami)
