Last blue boat burns at Iron Bottom Sound

The last remaining blue boat has been destroyed.

The maritime department of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force yesterday destroyed the last of three impounded Vietnamese fishing vessels at Iron Bottom Sound.

Deputy Commissioner Juanita Matanga, supervising RSIPF commissioner, said the police force requested to destroy the boat because it had the capacity to carry out the operation.

Locals destroyed the other two blue boats with advice from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

All three boats were detained last year after being caught fishing illegally at the Indispensable Reef near Rennell Island in Renbel Province.

Concerns have been raised about the process of destroying the boats, as well as potential environmental threats the boats posed.