Indonesia Detain 11 Foreign Fishing Vessels In 2013

Batam, Riau Islands, April 16 (Antara) - The ministry of maritime and fisheries has detained 11 foreign fishing vessels for poaching in Indonesian waters off Natuna so far this year. "Until today we have caught 11 foreign fishing vessels," head of the Batam office of the maritime and fishery resource control working unit Ahmadon said in a meeting with visiting team of the Commission IV of the House of Representatives. Ahmadon said the number of ships detained so far this year was already higher than in 2012 and 2011, adding in 2012 there were only nine and in 2011 there were six vessels detained for illegal operation in Indonesian waters . He said the maritime and fishery ministry also detained 57 crewmen of the 11 vessels including 37 Vietnamese and 20 Indonesians. "Twelve of the 20 Indonesians and 11 of the Vietnamese have been freed," he said. The 11 Vietnamese were sent back to their country via the immigration office of Tanjungpinang, Bintan, he said, adding the remaining 26 are still held here. In 2012, the nine foreign vessels caught by the Batam authorities included , six Vietnamese and three Malaysian vessels. The six Vietnamese vessels have been auctioned off after the district court decided them guilty vessels.