The foreign boats were apprehended in the Indonesian exclusive economic zone on March 29, fisheries minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said here on Friday.
Five of the boats, which are from Thailand, were stopped in the Malacca Strait while the sixth boat, from Vietnam, was caught in the Natuna waters.
The minister said the efforts to detain foreign boats found fishing in the country`s waters would continue in an attempt to discourage illegal fishing.
The fisheries and mineral resources supervisor, Syahrin Abdurrahman, said the fishing boats from Thailand and Vietnam were not carrying Indonesian fishing permits when they were detained.
He said the Thai boats, along with their catches, were taken to Belawan port in North Sumatra for further investigation. The boats carried 52 crew members who were Thai and Myanmarese nationals.
The Vietnamese boat was taken to Tanung Pinang in the Riau Islands province.
(T.M040/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
