Vietnamese authorities have expressed their support for 30 Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested for illegally fishing in Australian waters.
One of Vietnamese fishing boats intercepted off Cape York in March this year (Photo by Department of Immigration and Border Protection/AAP)
The crew were from two boats caught illegally fishing in a Coral Sea marine reserve off Australia’s north coast on June 2, with diving gear and six tonnes of sea cucumbers found on board.
Their penalties included suspended jail sentences ranging from two months for the crew to five and seven months for the masters of the vessels.
After the case, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia to urgently verify the information and take the usual measures when Vietnamese citizens are arrested abroad.
Earlier in March this year, a group of 30 Vietnamese fishermen were also accused of illegally fishing sea cucumbers from the Great Barrier Reef marine park in far north Queensland, Australia.
They were stopped by the Australian Border Force that claimed to have found 30 drums full of sea cucumbers weighing hundreds of kilos on board.
