Indonesia seizes two Chinese fishing vessels hinh anh 1Indonesia ​sank Chinese fishing boats in May 2016 (Photo: Reuters)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia seized two Chinese fishing boats for fishing illegally off Indonesia’s northwest coast, near the Natuna islands. 

This announcement was made by Susi Pudjiastuti, Indonesia’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, on September 22. 

This was the first arrest since The Hague tribunal in the Netherlands rejected China’s “nine-dash line” claims in the East Sea on July 12. 

Indonesia will soon launch joint patrols with the US to combat illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, stated the minister on her visit to the US last week. 

Thirty foreign fishing boats have been caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters in the past six months.-VNA

VNA