ITALIAN TRAWLER CAUGHT FISHING ILLEGALLY IN CRO TERRITORIAL WATERS

WATERS $ PULA, Jan 8 (Hina) - An Italian trawl boat was caught fishing illegally, on Tuesday evening, one kilometre inside the Croatian territorial waters. The boat was stopped by Croatian maritime police and escorted to the port of Pula where criminal proceedings have been instituted against the boat's captain and the five-member crew. The incident took place in Croatian territorial waters at 20.00 hrs Tuesday, Pula police told reporters at a news conference. While patrolling along the state border, a police crew of the 'Plll' vessel, spotted the boat sailing to the south, a 0.6 mile inside the Croatian territorial waters, off Rovinj. At about 20.30 hrs the police vessel came near the 'suspected' boat which was already one mile inside the Croatian territorial waters. Police observed that it was the Italian boat, named 'Darno', which was using a trawl for fishing. A spokesman for the Pula police said, the Italian trawler did not stop sailing but started to run away. Therefore, the police vessel began to chase the Italian boat, and warned it by light signals. During the chase, Croatian police fired several signal rockets and shot in the air, and then it had to use firearms. The trawler stopped sailing only after the police fired a few bullets toward the mast and above it. The trawler was escorted to the port of Pula at 01.30 hrs. Police found 374.5 kilograms of fish aboard. The home port of the Italian trawler is Chioggia. (hina) mš 081723 MET jan 97