JAKARTA, Aug 20 — The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has impounded a Malaysian-flagged fishing boat for illegal fishing within the country’s exclusive economic zone in the Malacca Strait.
Five Myanmar nationals were arrested for lacking the necessary permits and using prohibited fishing equipment, specifically trawling gear, in the second incident of its kind since Thursday.
Its director-general of surveillance and control of marine and fishery resources, Rear Admiral Dr Adin Nurawaluddin, said the boat was detained at coordinates 03°42.993’N-100°07.71571’E on Saturday at 8:05 am local time.
“The enforcement team will transfer the case involving the boat’s crew and evidence to the Belawan Maritime and Fisheries Resources Monitoring Office in Medan, North Sumatra,” he said in a statement.
Violating Indonesia’s maritime and fisheries laws could lead to a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of up to two billion rupiah or RM607,340.
