Maluku fishermen detained in Australia

AMBON, Maluku: At least 80 fishermen from Maluku are being held and prosecuted in Australia for illegal fishing, a senior official said on Saturday.

The fishermen are among some 660 Indonesian fishermen who have been arrested by the Australian authorities for illegal fishing since January, said Alex Retraubun, the director of small islands affairs at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

"This is a serious matter and the government is working on a strategy to resolve it," said Alex during a visit to Ambon on Saturday.

Separately, 10 fishermen from Dobo, Aru islands, Maluku, were deported by the Australian government. They had been detained for fishing in Australian waters without a permit. The fishermen arrived in Ambon city on April 26, but it is unclear whether they have returned home.

Sartono Pining, a welfare official with the Maluku provincial administration, said on Saturday that many Aru islands fishermen were being held by the Australian authorities, as the waters of the Aru islands border Australian waters.

He said the fishermen did not have sophisticated equipment and were often unaware when they crossed into Australian waters. -- JP