Australia confirms arrest of RI fishermen

Australia confirms arrest of RI fishermen

PERTH, Australia (AFP): A large group of Indonesian fishermen detained off Western Australia's far north coast at the weekend are from the island of Sulawesi, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority said yesterday.

Greg Gayfer, the authority's deputy chief officer in Broome, the pearling port 2,500 kilometers north of here, said there were about 120 men, including skippers and crew, in the group.

They were from 12 vessels apprehended by Australian Navy patrol boats at the weekend and towed to Broome. Gayfer told AFP the fishermen were now being interviewed by four officers at a quarantine station, near Broome.

"We will not know, until the completion of interviews, what may or may not be alleged against the men," he said.

Another authority officer at Broome, Greg Finlay, said it appeared the fishermen may have been seeking trepang, also known as sea cucumber or sea slugs. "There has been a steep rise in its value on the Chinese market," he said.

The authority said the navy patrol boats swooped on a fleet of about 28 fishing vessels, but the other 16 boats fled towards Indonesia.

The size of the fleet sparked concern that this may be the start of a major new influx of Indonesian boats off the Australian coast.