19-8-2023 (JAKARTA) The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has apprehended two Malaysian-flagged fishing vessels on suspicion of illegal fishing activities within its territorial waters in the Malacca Strait.
The detection occurred during a routine patrol at coordinates 03º07’814”N-100º41’911”E and 03º07’501”N-100º41’426”E, precisely at 3:15 am on Thursday (August 17).
During the operation, eight Indonesian crew members were detained, and authorities seized 1.4 tonnes of fish along with the prohibited trawling equipment, as revealed by Rear Admiral Dr. Adin Nurawaluddin, Director-General of Marine and Fisheries Resources.
“It is suspected that both vessels were employing illegal fishing gear, which causes significant harm to marine ecosystems,” he stated in an official statement.
The detained vessels, along with the evidence, were subsequently transported to the Dumai Maritime and Fisheries Resources Monitoring facility in Riau for a thorough investigation.
