Two Indonesian Fishing Boats Detained in Papua New Guinea

Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National website on 5 January

The National Fisheries [NFA] enforcement unit and police have seized two Indonesian fishing boats for allegedly fishing illegally in the waters off Daru in the Western Province. [passage omitted]

“The two boats with 26 Indonesian men left Daru today and [are] being escorted by police and NFA officials to Port Moresby,” Western police commander Kerry John said from Daru yesterday.

Mr John said the first boat carrying 10 Indonesians was spotted by a surveillance team on Tuesday morning [2 January] fishing inside PNG waters and another with 16 passengers on board was sighted yesterday. He said police and the NFA officials responded promptly and seized the boats.

Mr John said he still had in custody in Daru police cells 21 Indonesians who were previously caught for illegally fishing and there were no more space for another 20 Indonesians or so. [passage omitted]

The Indonesians will be charged and detained once they arrive in Port Moresby, and the boat owners and captains face hefty fines if convicted.

Indonesian fishermen have, on numerous occasions, been caught fishing in PNG waters, and one such incident led to the death of an Indonesian fisherman after being shot by PNG troops during a surveillance operation in Vanimo, Sandaun Province, last year.

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