"The boats deserved to be sunk because these were caught red-handed, violating the sovereignty of the Unitary State of Indonesia," Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Susi Pudjiastuti, who led the operation to sink the boats, said.
KM Sudita, the 15 GT 109 Thai-flagged ship carrying 13 crew, was caught fishing illegally in the Natuna waters on March 7, 2015.
Vietnamese-flagged Kg 92728 TS with 20 crew on board and KG 90540 TS carrying six crew members were caught on March 20 while fishing illegally, also in the Natuna waters.
Before the boats were sunk, they were towed to the waters near Momoi island in Batam, where the vessels were exploded.
The sinking of the boats by setting explosives was carried out in cooperation with the navy, the police and the attorney generals office.
Low power explosives were used to prevent the boats from being totally destroyed so that their wreckage can be used as a rumpon (fish trap) at the location.
Besides violating territorial waters, the boats also used trawls that could damage ecosystem and coral reefs in their operation, a fisheries ministry director general, Asep Burhanuddin, said.
He said the sinking of the boats was carried out without a court process and the step was lawful as it was in line with circular number 1, 2015 of the chief justice.(WDY)
