Indonesia sinks 40 foreign boats in illegal fishing crackdown

Indonesia has sunk 40 foreign boats in the past two days as part of a crackdown on illegal fishing, the country’s fisheries ministry said on Monday.
The boats mostly from Vietnam were scuttled on Sunday and Monday in four locations, the Marine Resources and Fisheries Ministry said in a statement.
The boat owners were found guilty by the country’s maritime courts of operating illegally in Indonesian waters, it added.
Under the leadership of Susi Pudjiastuti, the ministry has destroyed at least 556 foreign fishing vessels since 2014.
“With so many large fishing boats with destructive catching equipment, our marine resources could [be] depleted soon,’’ Susi said in a statement.
“It’s time we secured our resources and ensured that they continue to exist in abundance for the sake of our future grandchildren,’’ she added. (NAN)