The eight crew members of the boats - Soethat, Soe Myint, Than Thun Lay, Augn Win, Nri Nyi Kaw, Than Oo, Zaw Min and Myo Min Tun - are from Myanmar.Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Two Malaysian-flagged boats have been seized for poaching fish near Jemur island in the Sumatran province of Riau.
"We have also arrested two skippers and eight crew members of the boats," the head of the Rokan Hilir fisheries and marine resource service, Amrizal, said here on Wednesday.
The two skippers - from Sungai Sumun, Perak, Malaysia - are Kee Ching Ha and Kee Chin Wooi, he added.
The eight crew members of the boats - Soethat, Soe Myint, Than Thun Lay, Augn Win, Nri Nyi Kaw, Than Oo, Zaw Min and Myo Min Tun - are from Myanmar.
"When caught, the two skippers were unable to produce their permits for fishing in the Indonesian waters," Amrizal said, adding that the boats` crew were now held at a detention center in Bagan Siapiapi, Rokan Hilir.
He noted that illegal fishing by foreign fishermen in Pulau Jemur waters had been a cause of concern among local fishermen, particularly because the Malaysian fishermen used trawls that could damage coral reefs.
"The Malaysian fishermen have often harassed local fishermen with their bigger boats and damaged the fishing nets of local fishermen," Amrizal said.
He stated that he had sent a letter to the Malaysian consul in Pekanbaru to look after the crew of the boats.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
