Indonesia's Maritime Minister Leads Sinking of Illegal Fishing Vessels
  • 6 years ago

Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti led the simultaneous sinking of 125 illegal fishing vessels on Monday, August 20, at 11 different locations in the country.Susi, as she is affectionately called, did a countdown on a mobile phone in Bitung, a coastal city in North Sulawesi, and commanded, “Sink ’em!” – a catchphrase of hers that has become popular.A total of 15 vessels were sunk in Bitung, while the rest were in ports in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Maluku. The vessels included those carrying Vietnamese, Malaysian and Philippine flags. “There were also Indonesian-flagged vessels but they were in fact foreign vessels,” the minister said.Indonesia has sunk a total of 488 illegal fishing vessels since October 2014, according to local news. Credit: Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries via Storyful