Ternate (Antara Maluku) - Police in North Maluku province have impounded a Philippine fishing vessel in South Halmahera waters on charge of fish theft.
The 19-gross tonnage vessel was impounded when the South Halmahera police were conducting a routine patrol in the waters, spokesman of the South Halmahera district police 1st Insp. Wanda Bernard said here on Tuesday.
The police also arrested 20 crew members of the vessel and seized 5.5 tons of tuna and fishing tools, he said.
The crew members who consist of 19 Filipinos and one Indonesian are being detained for questioning, he added.
The Indonesian government is determined to eradicate illegal fishing from the waters of the country.
Last Friday, the Indonesian Navy sank three of the 155 foreign fishing vessels that were impounded.
The three Vietnamese boats, which were proven to have illegally poached fish in Indonesian waters, were made to explode by the Indonesian Navy in the waters of Anambas Island, Riau Islands.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) remarked that Indonesia suffers a potential loss of Rp30 trillion a year because of illegal fishing. However, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti recently stated that the losses inflicted were much larger.
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Ambon, Maluku 2014
The 19-gross tonnage vessel was impounded when the South Halmahera police were conducting a routine patrol in the waters, spokesman of the South Halmahera district police 1st Insp. Wanda Bernard said here on Tuesday.
The police also arrested 20 crew members of the vessel and seized 5.5 tons of tuna and fishing tools, he said.
The crew members who consist of 19 Filipinos and one Indonesian are being detained for questioning, he added.
The Indonesian government is determined to eradicate illegal fishing from the waters of the country.
Last Friday, the Indonesian Navy sank three of the 155 foreign fishing vessels that were impounded.
The three Vietnamese boats, which were proven to have illegally poached fish in Indonesian waters, were made to explode by the Indonesian Navy in the waters of Anambas Island, Riau Islands.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) remarked that Indonesia suffers a potential loss of Rp30 trillion a year because of illegal fishing. However, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti recently stated that the losses inflicted were much larger.
Editor : John Nikita S
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Ambon, Maluku 2014