A Taiwanese fishing vessel is currently under investigation by the police, customs, immigration, quarantine and the Ministry of Fisheries.
The vessel was apprehended and escorted to Honiara during the weekend.The apprehension is one of the two carried out under the Operation Kurukuru 2010, a recently coordinated maritime surveillance operation in which 11 member countries of the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency cooperated to detect illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Acting Director of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Maritime Unit, Inspector John Patai confirms to SIBC News that the vessel was escorted by the Police Patrol Boat Lata to Aola Base in Honiara for investigation.
The operation was a result of a 10 day sea and air surveillance by police, fisheries and military personnel of Pacific Island Forum countries and counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, France and the US.