Indonesia sank 13 Vietnamese fishing boats

• April 5, 2016 21:11

Indonesia today sank 23 foreign fishing boats, including 13 Vietnamese fishing boats, on charges of illegal fishing in its waters.

Malaysian and Vietnamese fishing boats are destroyed for illegal fishing by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, police and navy, in Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia April 5, 2016 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. The Indonesian government reportedly sank 28 illegal foreign fishing boats simultaneously in nine locations across the country. REUTERS/M N Kanwa /Antara Foto ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN INDONESIA.

Vietnamese and Malaysian fishing boats were sunk by Indonesia on April 5. Photo: Reuters.

The fishing boats, including 13 Vietnamese and 10 Malaysian vessels, were sunk in seven different areas, including Batam and Aceh, Xinhua reported.

The event, which involved the Indonesian navy and police, was the third time Jakarta has sunk foreign fishing vessels accused of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters this year. Indonesia has sunk 174 vessels since 2014.

"The government will continue to sink illegal fishing vessels," Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti told reporters in Jakarta.

Indonesia sank 38 fishing boats on similar charges in August 2015 to mark its 70th anniversary. Thirty-four of the boats were from neighboring countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said at the time that Jakarta was losing more than $20 billion a year due to illegal fishing.

According to VNE

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