Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Task Force 115 team detained a Malaysia-flagged fishing boat captained by a Myanmarese skipper for poaching Indonesia's ZEE waters, off Berhala Island, North Sumatra Province.

"When we detained the boat, it was fishing illegally in ZEEI waters, at a distance of 32 nautical miles (Nm) from Berhala Island," Edhy Prabowo, Commander of the Task Force 115 and concurrently Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, said in a press statement here on Sunday.

The arrest was made by Indonesian warship KRI Halasan (HLS) -630 on Thursday, (Nov 12) at 11 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Standard Time).

The fishing boat number SLFA 2668 headed by O-Blo, a Myanmar national, was fishing in the waters surrounding Berhala Island, at coordinates 04 ° 15,800' South Latitude (LS) - 099 ° 41,600' East Longitude (BT).

The boat was manned by four crew members including the skipper.

The Task Force personnel found a cargo of about 30 drums of fish on the boat.

"When questioned by officers, the skipped failed to show valid documents and it used trawl fishing gear," he continued.

For further investigation, the fishing boat was escorted to the Indonesian Navy's Main Base I (Lantamal I) in Belawan, North Sumatra.

The Commander of the Task Force 115 Operations Team, First Admiral Robbert Wolter Tappangan, said that the arrest was carried out by the Task Force in cooperation with other units.

Related news: Two foreign fishing vessels detained for poaching in Natuna waters
Related news: Ministry identifies three areas susceptible to illegal fishing

Translator: M Razi Rahman, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020