Thai Navy seizes 7 Vietnamese vessels for illegal fishing

SONGKHLA, March 26 (TNA) -- The Second Naval Area Command of Thailand arrested a group of seven Vietnamese fishing vessels along with 38 crew members, while they were illegally fishing in the Thai territorial waters. The HTMS Naratiwat and HTMS Klong Yai made the seizure earlier today, where the seven Vietnamese vessels and their 38 crews were illegally fishing in the Gulf of Thailand in the northeast of Koh Kra island of Nakhong Si Thammarat province. All of the suspects have now been taken for further questioning at the Songkhla Naval Base this morning. A captain of the fishing trawlers said that all seven vessels had traveled from Ca Mau, Kien Giang, and Ben Tre provinces of Vietnam and trespassed into the Thai terriorial waters in search of sea cucumbers in the Gulf of Thailand. Primarily, all of the suspects have been sent to the Songkhla Police Station for further prosecution, after which the police would contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to inform them of the arrests. This is 16th seizures of Vietnamese fishing vessels, and the largest fleet yet, as these ships trespassed into Thai territorial water to illegal fish for marine resources. The latest arrest brings the total number of foreign ships already seized this year to 31 and a total of 188 crew members. (TNA)