All eyes are on the SA government task team today which must in the near future produce a list of fishing crimes committed off the Eastern Cape coastline by two Chinese long-line trawlers and an Indonesian vessel flying a Chinese flag.
China has come out in a blanket defence of the Fu Yuan Yu companies vessels 7880 and 7881 and the Indonesian Run Da 617 saying the vessels' papers were in order and they were only in SA waters to avoid bad weather.
The ships and their 100 crew are under arrest in East London port and all media access to the port has been forbidden.
An array of state departments, including SARS, is busy compiling its findings of their rummaging through the ships from Sunday night.
Officials yesterday said their information would be put into a docket to be presented to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Public outrage over illegal looting of SA seafood and destruction of marine stocks and reefs has been growing over the years.
On Monday the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Senzeni Zokwana, said: “We cannot tolerate the plundering of our marine resources which are a source of food security and play a huge role in realising our goals in Operation Phakisa."
The Minister also said, for the first time, that government's concern was being raised by the "sudden influx of these vessels in our waters".
Last night the Indonesian embassy denied all knowledge of the high seas arrest of their citizens.
Indonesian first secretary for information and sociocultural affairs at the embassy, Gunarmand Nainggolan, said: "We at the embassy have not yet heard of this case. Your email is the first information about this case that we have received."
However, Nainggolan said the Indonesian government would protect their nationals abroad.
"We always make sure that all of our nationals that are involved with legal cases abroad always received the best care and legal assistance in accordance with the rules and regulations of the host country.
"In this matter, the case in East London will be handled by our Consulate-General in Cape Town."
Spotlight falls on government task team on fishing crimes
China has come out in a blanket defence of the Fu Yuan Yu companies vessels 7880 and 7881 and the Indonesian Run Da 617 saying the vessels' papers were in order and they were only in SA waters to avoid bad weather.
The ships and their 100 crew are under arrest in East London port and all media access to the port has been forbidden.
An array of state departments, including SARS, is busy compiling its findings of their rummaging through the ships from Sunday night.
Officials yesterday said their information would be put into a docket to be presented to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Public outrage over illegal looting of SA seafood and destruction of marine stocks and reefs has been growing over the years.
On Monday the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Senzeni Zokwana, said: “We cannot tolerate the plundering of our marine resources which are a source of food security and play a huge role in realising our goals in Operation Phakisa."
The Minister also said, for the first time, that government's concern was being raised by the "sudden influx of these vessels in our waters".
Last night the Indonesian embassy denied all knowledge of the high seas arrest of their citizens.
Indonesian first secretary for information and sociocultural affairs at the embassy, Gunarmand Nainggolan, said: "We at the embassy have not yet heard of this case. Your email is the first information about this case that we have received."
However, Nainggolan said the Indonesian government would protect their nationals abroad.
"We always make sure that all of our nationals that are involved with legal cases abroad always received the best care and legal assistance in accordance with the rules and regulations of the host country.
"In this matter, the case in East London will be handled by our Consulate-General in Cape Town."
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