Navy hunts down RP fishing boat

MANADO: A fishing vessel from the Philippines is sought by the Indonesian Navy for escaping seizure in Bitung, North Sulawesi.

Bitung Naval base commander Lt. Col. I Dewa Putu GS said on Friday the fishing boat was intercepted initially by the KRI Nuku patrol boat on Tuesday for poaching.

"After we had confiscated their ship documents and ordered them to moor at the Bitung Port, the boat slipped away with their catch," Putu told reporters in Manado.

Putu said the KRI Nuku crew found 600 kg of tuna in the vessel's hold. The fish was believed to have been poached from North Sulawesi waters.

The fishing boat was flying an Indonesian flag, but had Philippine documents and a crew of 13 Filipinos and three Indonesians. -- JP