DAMMAM: Lt. Col. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, director of public relations at the Coast Guard Command in the Eastern Province, told Arab News yesterday that no one has so far claimed the ownership of four fishing boats that were seized recently by Iran.
The Iranian Coast Guard seized the vessels, said to be Saudi-owned, with 17 Indian sailors on board near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Station after they strayed into Iranian territorial waters, according to media reports.
“We have not yet been officially informed by the Iranian Coast Guard about any Saudi fishing boats that were captured by them lately,” he said.
Al-Ghamdi also said that there were no reports of any missing vessels. He said Saudi authorities would typically begin a search for any vessel that did not reapply for the fishing license, which is issued on a daily basis. He said about 450 licenses are issued daily in normal weather conditions.
Al-Ghamdi also pointed out that such territorial violations are quite common because fishermen are not able to precisely determine the boundary between international and territorial waters. Violators are typically “questioned and released,” he added.
The Saudi Coast Guard does the same thing, he said. Vessels and fishermen are typically released unless illicit cargo is found on the crafts.
