John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, March 24: The Indian Coast Guard has successfully apprehended 12Myanmaresepoachers for illegally fishing in Indian waters near Andaman and Nicobar islands. The operation was carried out after suspicious vessels were sighted by the Indian Coast Guard during maritime surveillance near Landfall Island.
The Coast Guard ship had spotted the vessel and apprehended it at Landfall Island. Earlier, the poachers did not respond to very high frequency (VHF) calls made by the Coast Guard ship and attempted evasive manoeuvres to avoid apprehension. Despite the crew’s efforts, the Coast Guard ship managed to intercept the boat and found it to be of Myanmarese origin.
Further investigations revealed that the boat was engaged in illegal fishing in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is prohibited under Indian laws. Following the apprehension, the boat and poachers were escorted to Port Blair this afternoon and handed over to the CCS of Andaman and Nicobar police.Illegal fishing poses a serious threat to the ecological balance of the region and can cause significant damage to the marine ecosystem.
