Indonesia sinks 51 foreign fishing boats

AFPreported that more than a dozen ships were sunk near Pontianak, West Kalimantan province, on May 4. A total of 51 ships from Vietnam, Malaysia and China will be sunk in several locations over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile,APreported that a total of 51 ships were sunk on May 4 at five Indonesian ports, including ships from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Indonesian authorities accused the vessels of illegally fishing in their waters. Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the action was necessary to warn neighboring countries that Indonesia was serious about fighting illegal fishing.

“There is no other way,” she said. “This is really the best solution for our country, but it is scary for other countries.”

Ms Pudjiastuti said Indonesia suffered huge economic losses from lax regulations that allowed foreign vessels to fish in its waters. Since President Widodo took office in 2014, hundreds of foreign fishing vessels have been sunk, more than half of them Vietnamese.

The sinking of the boat was halted for several months but resumed last week, when a Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessel intervened while an Indonesian navy ship was trying to arrest the fishermen and tow the Vietnamese fishing boat, causing the boat to sink on April 27.

Vietnam said the fishing boat was operating in waters within the area where Vietnam and Indonesia are delimiting their exclusive economic zones and 5.5 nautical miles north of the 2003 continental shelf delimitation line. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a diplomatic note of protest to the Indonesian embassy, ​​demanding that Indonesia immediately release the 12 fishermen, treat them humanely, and compensate the Vietnamese fishing boat appropriately.

Indonesia, a nation of more than 17,000 islands, claims a large exclusive economic zone in the sea that overlaps with several other countries.

Vietnam has repeatedly called on Indonesia not to use force against Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen, emphasizing that these actions by Indonesia seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdiction, are contrary to international law, and are inconsistent with the traditional friendship, strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia, and ASEAN solidarity.