"The 12 foreign fishing boats were apprehended by Indonesian Navy warships," First Admiral M Zainudin, spokesman of the Navy, said here on Saturday.
The boats include four Thai-flagged boats, three Filipino-flagged, four Vietnamese-flagged, and one Malaysian-flagged boat.
The boats have been identified as MV Sudita (Thailand), Camar Laut 01 (Thailand), Thindo Mina 6 (Thailand), Laut Natuna 15 (Thailand), Stonino 804 (The Philippines), Luke VII (the Philippines), TW 3550/6/F (Malaysia), KG 93167 PF (Vietnam), and TW 9334 BTS or Sinar Petromax 474 (Vietnam).
Officials noted that tens of foreign fishing boats have been confiscated for poaching in Indonesian waters by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministrys fisheries and maritime natural resources supervision (PSDKP).
The destruction of the fishing boats follows rulings issued by local courts, he stated.
"The sinking of the boats will be held at three different locations, notably in the Tarempa Naval Base (in Batam Province), the Rinai Naval Base (in Riau Islands Province), and in the Tarakan Naval Base (in North Kalimantan Province).
The planned sinking of those fishing boats is in accordance with instructions issued by President Joko Widodo, who has ordered such actions to deter other foreign fishing boats from poaching in the countrys waters, Zainudin stated.
The Indonesian Navy will have no hesitation to follow the instructions because poaching by foreign fishing boats not only is a violation of Indonesian laws, but also challenges the sovereignty of Indonesias maritime territory, he stated.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo said the state has suffered very large financial losses due to illegal fishing activities.
"Illegal fishing and the theft of fish has caused huge losses to the state," President Jokowi noted in his State of the Nation Address before the Annual Plenary Session of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the Parliament Building on Friday.
(f001/INE)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
