RI fishers jailed for injuring officers

RI fishers jailed for injuring officers

AUSTRALIA: Two crew members of an illegal Indonesian fishing boat who injured Australian naval officers sent to apprehend them have each been jailed for 10 months, officials said Saturday.

Fisheries Minister Ian MacDonald said the punishment was among the harshest imposed on illegal Indonesian fishermen, who have been targeted by Australian authorities this year.

"This conviction sends a strong message to Indonesian fishers that violent acts towards commonwealth officers will not be tolerated," Macdonald said in a statement.

He said the men pleaded guilty to criminal charges and were sentenced in Darwin's Northern Territory Supreme Court on Friday. The fishermen attempted to repel a boarding party from the HMAS Geelong by throwing concrete-filled bottles and bamboo poles when they were spotted in waters off northern Australia in September, injuring several officers.

When the navy eventually boarded the boat, they found more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of frozen fish, 40 kilograms of fresh-cut fish and seven sharks on board.

Macdonald said Australia had apprehended 233 foreign fishing vessels operating illegally in its waters this year. -- AFP