Nine RI boats caught in Australian waters

Nine RI boats caught in Australian waters

AUSTRALIA: Nine Indonesian fishing boats were intercepted while
poaching fish from Australia's northern waters, the government
said on Tuesday.

Fisheries and customs authorities combined forces with the air
force and navy to apprehend the vessels off Australia's northern
coast over the weekend.

"The government is committed to ensuring that Australia's
valuable fishing resources are protected from these poachers,"
fisheries and conservation minister Ian MacDonald said in a
statement.

MacDonald said three of the vessels attempted to speed into
Indonesian waters before they were apprehended. All nine had
navigational equipment and charts, which suggested the crews knew
they were illegally fishing in Australian waters, he said.

Eight of the vessels were transported to the Northern
Territory ports of Darwin and Gove, and the ninth was destroyed
at sea due to safety concerns for its crew, who were transported
to shore on a navy ship. --AP