18th November 2008
Kiribati has arrested two more foreign fishing boats for violating their fishing agreements, bringing to three the number of vessels from distant water fishing nations that it has intercepted fishing illegally in the past three months.
Police reports say a Korean pole and line vessel, Oriong 722, didn't switch on its “automatic locating communicator” since March until it was arrested earlier this week by Kiribati's patrol boat, “Te Anoai.”
A U.S. purse seiner, “Rafaello,” was caught entering Onotoa island's 12 mile territorial waters the earlier this month.
Both vessels were detected and reported through the multi-nation Island Chief Operation maritime surveillance headquarters in Papua New Guinea — and arrest operations were conducted by the Kiribati Police Maritime Unit, using the patrol boat Te Anoai.
Skippers of both vessels, however, have refused to pay financial penalties laid down by a special committee, and have been apprehended to await legal action.
The committee consists of a representative from the Attorney General's office, the police service and the fisheries department.
The skippers have asked to be allowed to continue fishing until the court hearing on their cases, but this was denied.
Recently, a Taiwanese fishing boat caught for violating a regional fisheries agreement was released by Kiribati's police after paying a $100,000 fine.
Within a time span of about three months, Kiribati's patrol boat Te Anoai has recorded a big catch of three foreign fishing boats operating illegally in Kiribati's waters.
