JAPANESE BOATS SEIZED

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 43, 13 June 1938, Page 1

JAPANESE BOATS SEIZED

DUTCH PATROLS v TEN ARRESTS' THIS YEAR. \ . BUITENZORG, April 16.—Dutch naval ships have arrested 10 Japanese motor fishing vessels in the Rhio archpeligo, just south of Singapore, since the beginning of this year. A destroyer .now patrols these islands constantly. Other naval vessels are stationed in the waters round the Moluccas and the Am Islands to police the Japanese fishing fleets there. The ships .of the Dutch civil administration and of tlic Indian .Military .Marine, have been proved to be too slow to catch the more modern Japanese fishing vessels, and now patrols built. They are to be ,of 1000 tons, with guns, liavo a speed of 18 knots, and carry crews of; nine Europeans and 50 to 60 natives. in the meantime, warships will be employed. Because of their superior speed, the Japanese poachers had made a practice of making off and escaping when Dutch patrols arrived. However, on two occasions aircraft from the sloop Flores fired on escaping Japanese ships, and killed members of the crows, and Japanese poachers now stop Avhen requested. The Dutch Administration continues to take elaborate measures to prevent poaching. The movements of all Japanese fishermen are reported by officers in outlying islands tp theheadquarters in Java, and the navy is employing aircraft to scout for possible: trespassers. These measures were made necessary mot only by the action of Japanese in fishing in territorial waters, but by illegal landings. On several occasions, Japanese have obtained food' and fuel from natives on outlying islands, and after terrifying the natives, with explosives, carried to kill fish, hate gone off without paying. Nor have the Dutch authorities forgotten. the occasion when a- police officer arrested, as he thought, a trespassing vessel, but the Japanese, when well out to sea, put him over--hoard in a ship’s boat, and sailed away. : .