By James Guken
Magistrate Paul Nii sentenced 24 Indonesian fishermen to five years in prison each for illegal fishing in Papua New Guinea’s waters.
The fishermen were caught fishing without permits and failed to pay a K90,000 fine. Despite their pleas for leniency, Magistrate Nii stressed that enforcing the law was necessary to deter further illegal fishing activities.
The fishermen were employed by the Indonesian fishing vessel KMN Benazir Jaya 01, which had been operating in PNG’s exclusive economic zone. The vessel was apprehended on October 22, 2024, by the PNG Defence Force, after being detected by radar. Authorities discovered a large quantity of illegally caught fish, including yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, shark fins, and other marine products.
Magistrate Nii emphasized that while the fishermen’s personal circumstances were unfortunate, protecting PNG’s marine resources was crucial.
He also ordered the forfeiture of the two seized vessels to the state.
The sentence serves as a strong warning that illegal fishing in PNG waters will not be tolerated.
