Indonesia today, December 23, has released 42 Vietnamese fishermen held at a local prison for illegally fishing in the country’s waters, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan recently visited Tanjung Pinang Prison on Bintan Island to visit the prisoners. Most of the fishermen are from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
Ambassador Hoang Anh Tuan visited the Vietnamese fishermen detained in Indonesia.
Tuan told Tien Phong Newspaper that he was completely opposed to illegal actions by the fishermen, but the embassy was responsible for the prisoners’ welfare. He noted that the embassy had tried to help get the fishermen released early.
According to the ambassador, 620 Vietnamese fishermen had been arrested in Indonesian territorial waters compared to just around 250 in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The fishermen are mainly from the provinces of Quang Binh, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Kien Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
Under the Indonesian laws, any foreign fishing boat which violates the country’s territorial waters will be sunk. The Indonesian side often detain captains and first mates.
Tuan claimed that the increasing numbers of Vietnamese fishermen violating Indonesian waters was accidental.
