Owners hide trawlers from police

MEDAN: Seven entrepreneurs have hidden their trawlers in a secluded islet in the Malacca Straight to evade police raids on banned fishing equipment.

They stopped operations last week following repeated press reports saying they were defying government bans, Antara reported.

The government banned trawlers in early 1980s because their sophisticated equipment caught fish indiscriminately and threatened traditional fishermen's livelihoods.

Quoting reliable sources, Antara said at least 340 trawlers were poaching along the western coast of North Sumatra until last week.

Traditional fishermen, angered by the illegal trawlers, have occasionally engaged in physical clashes with trawler crews. (pan)