The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Maritime Unit patrol boat Auki have intercepted and apprehended two Foreign Fishing Vessels that were suspected to carrying out illegal fishing activities in the territorial waters of Solomon Islands.
The RSIPF in collaboration with the National Fisheries Department has been monitoring two Foreign Long-Line Fishing Vessels (FFVs) that were observed to have violated their fishing licenses in Solomon Island waters for more than a week.The vessels were easily located and monitored by the RSIPF Maritime Unit through a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) which is linked with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) regional monitoring system.
Patrol boat Auki of the RSIPF Maritime unit was tasked to intercept and apprehend the two Foreign Fishing Vessels.
On Thursday 20 January 2011, Patrol boat Auki intercepted the two Foreign Fishing vessels that were allegedly carrying out illegal fishing activities in the northern portion of the Solomon Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The two vessels were apprehended and escorted back to the Police Maritime Base in Honiara.
The recently apprehended vessels have been identified to be registered under the same Foreign Fishing Company that owned two similar Foreign Long-Line Vessels that were intercepted and seized by police in February last year (2010).
The vessels are currently berthed at the Police Maritime Base where they are currently being held under police custody pending further investigation and advice from the Fisheries Department.