KKP Detains Seven Foreign Fishing Vessels

JAKARTA, Oct 17 (Antara) - The Fishery Surveillance Boats of the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) detained seven foreign fishing boats poaching in two separate locations in Indonesian waters in the period of October 7-12, 2016. "After succeeding in catching eight foreign fishing boats operating illegally in Sulawesi waters end of September, 2016, KKP fishery surveillance boats caught seven other foreign fishing boats," acting Director General of Fishery and Maritime Resources Supervision Sjarief Widjaja said in a news release here on Saturday. Based on the official data of the KKP, three of the foreign fishing boats with 48 Vietnamese crewmen were caught in the waters of the Riau Islands on Oct 11, 2016. The three boats were identified as KM. Karang, KM. PAV 4543 and KM. Murkhan. The three boats were towed to Batam for legal investigations. The other four boats were caught off Miangas, North Sulawesi on Oct 7 and 12 with 30 crewmen believed to be from the Philippines. The four boats were sent to Bitung for legal investigations. The authorities also investigate the possibility of Philippine crewmen holding Indonesian identity card. Toward the end of September, the crewmen of eight Philippines fishing boats caught illegally operating in Indonesian waters were found to hold Indonesian identity card. Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has asked regional administration not to provide identity card for the foreign crew members of foreign fishing boats. The minister also hoped that police to cooperate with KKP to investigate the case of foreign crewmen holding Indonesian identity card.