Bakamla Catches Vietnamese-flagged Fishing Boat In North Natuna Sea

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) ship KN Pulau Dana-323 has arrested a foreign fishing vessel with a Vietnamese flag carrying out illegal activities in the North Natuna Sea, Riau Islands.

An initial inspection of the KN Pulau Dana-323 led by Lektol Bakamla Hananto Widhi showed that the Vietnamese ship numbered KG 2118 TS contained fish caught weighing approximately 2 tons.

"Vietnamese fishing vessels are suspected of having violated territorial boundaries and carrying out fishing activities in Indonesian marine waters without being accompanied by documents from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia," said the Head of Public Relations and Protocol of Bakamla Colonel Bakamla Wisnu Pramandita in a written broadcast, Friday, December 24.

He said the foreign ship was currently being escorted to dock in Batam for further inspection.

KN Pulau Dana-323 patrolled the North Natuna Sea, Friday, as an effort to maintain maritime and fishery activities in these waters.

Routine patrols in the North Natuna Sea are a follow-up to an order from the Head of Bakamla, Admiral TNI Aan Kurnia, which was forwarded by the Director of Operations, Laksma Bakamla Suwito, to his subordinates.

“While carrying out a patrol, at 06.15 WIB KN Pulau Dana-323 detected radar contact 2 KIA was carrying out fishing activities in the waters of the Indonesia-Malaysia border at position 04°.14'.30" U-105.02'.13 "T," said Colonel Vishnu.

KN Pulau Dana-323 approached the 2 foreign ships. However, both of them increased their speed to get out of Indonesian waters.

The commander of KN Pulau Dana-323 deployed the RHIB (rapid rubber boat) and the Bakamla Rapid Response Team (VBSS) to chase the 2 foreign ships.

The Vietnamese fishing boat with hull number KG 2118 TS was successfully stopped and captured, but one Vietnamese-flagged vessel fled into Malaysian waters.

The North Natuna Sea which is located at the southern end of the South China Sea is part of the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as regulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

In these waters, several foreign vessels, especially those with Vietnamese and Malaysian flags, often carry out illegal fishing and violate territorial boundaries.

The North Natuna Sea is also one of the waters considered vulnerable by Bakamla so that the area becomes one of the priority protected areas in 2022.