Four foreign ships detained for crab poaching off Sakhalin

Four vessels flying the Cambodian flag have been detained in Russia's Far East over the past two days, a spokesperson for the local coastal guard said on Thursday according to RIA Novosti.

The Cone fishing schooner and the Dhampir merchant vessel, both crewed by Russian nationals, were detained on Tuesday to the east of Sakhalin Island. They had over 17 and 47 metric tons of crab on board, respectively.

The vessels are being convoyed to the port of Korsakov in southern Sakhalin.

Another two vessels were detained on Wednesday carrying a total of 100 metric tons of crab, the spokesperson said.

All the ships lacked permits to fish in the area.

This year, Russia has launched a crackdown on illegal exports of crab and other seafood. In May 2007, Russia banned the export of live crab, but large volumes continue to be smuggled out of the country, primarily to Japan and South Korea.

Source: Portnews