An Indonesian trawler suspected of poaching salmon in the Pacific has been seized and towed to the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky following an eight-hour chase, a coast guard spokesman said Monday, RIA Novosti reports. The vessel was spotted drifting in a restricted zone by a Russian patrol boat, but gunned its engines when an attempt was made to board it. It then led the border patrol on an eight-hour chase across the open ocean, involving rather dangerous maneuvers, before the ship's captain was compelled to surrender. "Our inspection has determined that the ship, the Rong Sheng-828, is registered under the Indonesian flag," Andrei Orlov said. "According to the ship's log, the crew consists of 21 people, although we discovered 26 - nationals of Indonesia, China, Vietnam and one Russian." Orlov said the trawler was fishing and processing salmon in a restricted zone and without the necessary documentation or licenses.
He said a criminal case has been opened against the ship's captain and the vessel has been impounded pending further investigation.