The fishing vessel was cited for violation of fishing agreement and fishing regulations while fishing at the FSM waters
Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement Office Ellender Ngirameketii said a fishing vessel was also apprehended for illegal fishing at the FSM waters.He said for Palau, six boardings were made for inspection and two vessels were directed back to Palau Port for further investigation during the Rai Balang operation.Palau and FSM conducted a maritime surveillance operation called Rai Balang on May 2 through May 12 at the Palau and FSM Exclusive Economic Zones.This is the fifth Rai Balang operation since it started in 2006.The goal of the operation is to detect illegal activities such as unregulated and unreported fishing activities in Palau and in FSM.Australian Navy, US Coast Guard in Guam and Hawaii and US Navy in Japan participated in the said operation and conducted sea patrol operations at the Palau and FSM EEZ.The operation used data sharing in the vessel monitoring system which monitors the position, speed and direction of registered fishing vessels.Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement (NTSA) between Palau, FSM and Marshall Islands which was enacted in November of 2008, was also used in this operation.Permanent Ship Rider Agreements (SRA) has also been enacted between Palau and the US Coast Guard and FSM and the US Coast Guard.Maritime Surveillance Adviser Lt. Commander Kimbal Dunsmore said the operation was successful but it was the most complex to-date operation also.Ngirameketii on the other hand thanked Australia and the US for all the support in making the operation possible.He said they will continue to come up with better operations to enforce the law and to ensure that there will be no illegal activities on the EEZ of Palau and FSM.He added that the Rai Balang operation was held after the Sea Guardian exercises in Palau where personnel of Marine Law Enforcement Office applied what they have learned from the Sea Guardian exercises.
