Director General of Supervision of Fisheries and Marine Resources Asep Burhanudin, said the sinking of the ships was held at the same time in several areas in cooperation between the Marine and Fisheries Ministry, sea police and the navy.
The marine and fisheries Ministry exploded and sank 11 ships in the seas off Bitung and six units in Pontianak, West Kalimantan , one in Belawan, North Sumatra and one in Pidie Aceh.
At the same time the navy exploded and sank 4 ships in Bitung and 17 in Ranai, Riau Islands, Asep said.
The explosion and the sinking of the ships were on order from the President Joko Widodo via the Marine and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, he said.
"This is to revive the National Awakening Day and as symbol of the rise of the world maritime spirit," he said.
So far this year, including the 41 ships, the authorities have exploded and sent to the bottom of the sea more than 50 ships found illegally operating in Indonesian waters.
A number of 49 more ships caught by the marine and fisheries ministry are facing legal process.
They are facing the same sanction if the court found them guilty of illegal operation in the Indonesian waters.
The government adopts a tough measure hoping to stamp out illegal fishing in the countrys sea territory.
For many years foreign fishing ships have operated almost freely in Indonesian waters causing potential losses of hundreds of trillions of rupiahs to the country a year.
(T.SYS/B/H-ASG/A014)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
