12 RI fishing boats held in Australia<\/p>\n
BROOME, Australia (AFP): Australian patrol boats have detained
\na dozen Indonesian fishing vessels with a total of 116 people
\naboard for allegedly operating in an offshore nature reserve, an
\nofficial said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The motorized Indonesian boats were detained in the Ashmore
\nReef area, a spokesman for the national customs service said.<\/p>\n
He said the boats were spotted Thursday at the reef, a nature
\nreserve about 610 kilometers north of here, and spotter aircraft
\nand two patrol boats were sent.<\/p>\n
The patrol boats were escorting 12 fishing craft with about
\n116 crew aboard to this northern port of Broome, he said<\/p>\n
At the port, customs and other officials will \"conduct further
\nenquiries into possible breaches of Australian fisheries
\nregulations,\" the spokesman added.<\/p>\n
Ashmore Reef, covering 239 square kilometers, is reputed for
\nits great variety of marine habitats including seagrass meadows,
\nsandflats and lagoons.<\/p>\n
More than 745 species of fish have been recorded at the reef
\nwhere non-motorized Indonesian boats are allowed to engage in
\nsubsistence-type fishing.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/12-ri-fishing-boats-held-in-australia-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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