TEHRAN – The Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said in a statement on Wednesday that its forces have detained seven trawling ships in the Jask region, near the Strait of Hormuz.

“Seven trawling ships with 24 foreign crew members were detained on Tuesday night by Guards forces due to disregarding the allowed distance to coasts for fishing and also for violations related to fishing,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the IRIB.

Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively dragging or pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. Trawls are fishing nets that are pulled along the bottom of the sea or in mid-water at a specified depth. A trawler may also operate two or more trawl nets simultaneously.

The IRGC statement added that the cases had been delivered to Judiciary authorities for legal proceedings.

It further said that the ships had caught a total of 222 tons of different fishes.

“The Guards Navy has established a maritime Basij and its patrols are strongly confronting any illegal fishing which creates problems for the living of the local people,” it added.

Back in February, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri warned against illegal fishing in Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

“A Navy Basij has been formed which is in charge of 2,200 km coastal region of Hormozgan and Operational Zone 1 of the Guards Navy,” he said.

The Navy Basij, which is the extension of the Basij forces, is formed to protect the rights of the fishermen, to strengthen sustainable and people-centered security and to defend and protect the coast against foreigners, Tangsiri said back then.

SP/PA