GPS for the Good Guys - So they Don’t get Arrested

Here in the US we are mourning Loran-C, but in Malaysia authorities are looking to its successor, GPS to keep fishermen from crossing boundaries into neighbors’ waters, and potentially, getting arrested.

Offshore fishermen in Terengganu may also be equipped with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to avoid them from losing their direction and encroaching into the waters of neighbouring countries.

Fisherman Che Wan Budiman, the captain of a fishing boat from Terengganu, along with four crew were detained by the Indonesian authorities on Nov 12 after they had illegally entered into Indonesian waters. The crew was released, but he was held until just this week after the Malaysian government helped pay his fine. With that happy ending, work now begins on figuring out how to get the fishermen GPS so this does not happen again.

- Bernama