Barus – Starvation has begun to threaten some 140 traditional fishermen in Pasar Tarandam village, Barus subdistrict, Tapteng district, North Sumatra, because of the presence of Thai trawlers in their district's sea.

"We, local fishermen, can no longer catch big fishes as Thai trawlers operating in the waters off our district often shoot at us. Consequently, we cannot catch any fish unless we venture into the ocean far from the coast," T. Pohan, a local fisherman, said here on Saturday. Pohan said he and his friends had recently been to sea for one whole week but they failed to catch any fish and felt disappointed.