Pontianak, W Kalimantan - Indonesia suffered a loss of an estimated Rp30 trillion from illegal fishing last year, an official said.
"We suffered a great deal of losses from fish theft by foreign fishermen from Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines," Head of the West Kalimantan Provincial Maritime and Fisheries Office Budi Hariyanto said on Monday.
The foreign fishermen caught fish illegally in Natuna waters, Karimata waters, Aru Sea and Banda Sea as well as in the waters off the western coast of Sumatra island, he said.
He said the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries had provided the local government with a number of speed boats to intensify its sea patrols.
"In the future we will intensify our sea patrols to further keep down the number of fish theft," he said.
Source: www.antara.co.id (22 Januari 2008)
