Indonesian navy impounds Chinese trawler for illegal fishing

Indonesian warships have detained a Chinese trawler allegedly operating illegally in Indonesian waters, just weeks after a confrontation between vessels from the two countries stoked tensions, the Southeast Asian nation said ­on Sunday.

The trawler was intercepted by two navy ships on Friday after receiving information that a ship wanted by Interpol in Argentina had been spotted in Aceh, in the northwest of Sumatra, navy spokesman Edi Sucipto said.

The boat has been taken to a naval base in Belawan, North Sumatra for investigation.

“We are currently questioning the crew to find out more about the case,” Sucipto said, adding that one of them had a gunshot wound to his leg. “It was not our officers who shot him; he was probably shot by the Argentinian authorities,” he said.

The Chinese trawler was previously reported to have been fishing illegally in Argentine waters in late February.

Chinese fishermen held by Argentina head home

Argentinian forces in March opened fire on and a sank a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the South Atlantic after it tried to ram a coastguard vessel.