2 Vietnamese boats, 18 crew nabbed

Local fishermen rounded up two Vietnamese fishing vessels and detained 18 crew members caught trawling in Thai territorial waters off Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Hua Sai district on Thursday evening.

The crewmen comprised 11 Vietnamese nationals and seven Cambodians. They and the seized vessels were later taken to Pak Nam Preak Muang pier in Hua Sai district, where police and local officials were waiting to take them for legal action, Thai media reported Friday.

Narin Niyomdecha, owner of a Thai fishing boat who led the intercept, said 200-300 Vietnamese boats have violated Thai waters only 35 nautical miles offshore between Songkhla and Sichon districts. The boats used destructive fishing methods to collect sea cucumbers, damaging the environment, he said.

Local fishermen earlier tried to drive away those foreign vessels, but failed as the boats returned repeatedly. The frequent incursions by Vietnamese boats prompted local fishermen to join forces, said Mr Narin.

He called on security authorities to solve the illegal fishing by problem through diplomatic channels. He also asked Vietnamese fishermen to stop damaging marine resources in Thai waters.

Another fisherman who declined to be named said local fishermen had lodged complaints with officials to crack down on illegal fishing fleets, but no action so far has been taken.