NARATHIWAT: A Vietnamese fishing vessel was seized and four crewmen arrested on Friday for illegal fishing in the Gulf of Thailand in the second such seizure in less than a week.
A Royal Thai Navy patrol ship spotted the Vietnamese vessel fishing in Thai waters about 78 nautical miles from the mouth of the Narathiwat River, Capt Thattham Na Songkhla said at a briefing on Saturday.
The boat with all crewmen on board was brought to the Narathiwat pier. The crew including the skipper were charged with colluding to fish for commercial purposes without permission and entering the country illegally. They were later taken to the Muang district police station to be booked.
Authorities have seized 27 fishing vessels and 170 crew members in 14 separate cases since the fiscal year began last Oct 1, said Capt Thatham.
Friday’s capture followed the seizure of four Vietnamese vessels and the arrest of 36 crewmen for illegal fishing on Monday in the waters off Pattani.
Four crewmen, including the skipper of a Vietnamese fishing vessel, await their transfer to police custody in Narathiwat on Friday. (Photo: Waedao Harai)