Catching A Vietnamese Fishing Boat Is Marked By Chases And Warning Shots

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has succeeded in securing a Vietnamese-flagged foreign fishing vessel that committed illegal fishing after carrying out a chase in the North Natuna Sea, Tuesday, April 27 yesterday.

"The dynamics in the field in eradicating illegal fishing are like this. The cases faced by the authorities are not always easy", said Pung Nugroho Saksono, Director of Monitoring and Fleet Operations at KKP, in a press release in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 28.

He said that the action of chasing had colored the fishing of these illegal foreign fishing vessels. The warning sirens buzzing through the ocean and the barrage of bullets fired into the air by the crew of the KKP's fisheries control ship was ignored by the fishing boat.

Despite all efforts, in the end, the PSDKP-KKP Fishery Supervisory Ship was able to paralyze the fishing boat.

"The fish thieves must admit the dexterity, courage, and persistence of the crew of the Shark 17 fisheries supervisory vessel", he said.

Then, the ship with the hull name KG 5090 TS, manned by three Vietnamese crew members, was brought to the Pontianak PSDKP Station for further legal proceedings.

Pung Nugroho praised the crew of the supervisory ship for their fighting power in not letting the fish thieves go free from the Indonesian fisheries management area.

He reiterated that his party would not compromise with the fish thieves. "Every inch of this fisheries management area is a national asset that we will protect," he said.

Not only firmly against foreign fishing vessels, but the KKP also disciplines one Indonesian fishing vessel in the State Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia 711, namely in the North Natuna Sea area.

The ship is known to have committed a fishing area violation and is operating with an Expired Fishing Permit.

To date, the KKP has taken firm action against 82 fishing vessels consisting of 68 Indonesian fishing vessels that violate the provisions and 14 foreign fishing vessels that steal fish.