Thai fishermen detained

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Sixteen Thai fishermen have been detained by Malaysia's Sarawak state for straying into an exclusive economic zone, the official Bernama news agency reported on Sunday.

The state fisheries department nabbed the fishermen, aged between 20 and 40, early Saturday and seized the Indonesian- registered fishing vessel KM Yasbhon, department director Sulaiman Abu Bakar was quoted as saying.

There was not much catch aboard the vessel, reportedly worth 600,000 ringgit ($157,895), since it had just entered the zone, he said.

Sulaiman said that since last month the department had detained 239 fishermen, including 57 foreigners for illegal fishing in the zone in the state on Borneo island.