Malaysia arrested around 450 Vietnamese fishermen, Indonesia captured 280 and the Philippines took custody of 21, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A fishing boat that was released by China in August 2009.

MARD’s report on Vietnamese fishing boats seized by foreign countries released on March 31 also noted that, since 2006, there were 641 cases of arrests overseas, totaling 1186 fishing boats and 7045 fishermen. Around 751 fishermen are still abroad in jail.

Kien Giang has the highest number of confiscated ships, 58, followed by Quang Ngai with 47, Ba Ria-Vung Tau with 46 and Binh Dinh with 43. In the last three months, 30 Vietnamese fishing boats and 208 people were arrested.

Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated that, from early 2009 to the end of March 2010, 277 local fishermen were arrested by foreign countries. Of those, 189 were released via diplomatic channels and 57 others through negotiation and paying fines.

The number of fishing boats in foreign arrests is much higher than official reports, because fishermen quietly negotiated on their own or paid fines themselves.

Quang Ngai province’s situation is more complicated, as its number of ships and arrested fishermen is on the rise. Recently China seized boats and assets of Vietnamese fishermen when they sheltered at Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago from storms.

From 2005 to 2009, Quang Ngai had 111 boats and 1247 fishermen arrested abroad, with up to 60 boats and 732 arrested by China. Others were seized by the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand.

MARD observed that many Vietnamese fishermen were jailed because they were unable to define Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Recently China has expanded its patrol and control around the sea of Hoang Sa archipelago. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have protested China’s claims in the sea and also strengthened their patrols, taking tough measures against foreign fishing boats.

In this situation, MARD asked government officials to closely control fishing boats and to assist them when necessary. The Ministry will combine with related agencies to instruct fishermen of regulations on fishing and Vietnamese laws as well as how to avoid the territorial waters of other countries.

PV