The destruction of the two illegal Vietnamese fishing vessels has been postponed to today, due to bad weather yesterday.
The vessels were used by 50 Vietnamese fishermen who had been fishing in PNG waters off Budibidi Island in Milne Bay Province. This was on December 22, 2016.
The two illegal vessels were ordered early this year to be destroyed by the court.
They were towed out of Fairfax Harbour at midday yesterday by the PNG Defence Force Navy vessel HMPNGS Buna to a sinking site outside Port Moresby.
The destruction was organised by the National Fisheries Authority and planned to be carried out by the PNGDF Navy's explosive ordinance and diving team.
However, the operation was aborted halfway through due to rough seas.
Fisheries officer Mark Bangkoma said the rough seas made it difficult for the navy officers to carry out the operation as the swirls reached about five metres high, making the vessels very unstable.
Bangkoma said they will continue with the operation today when the weather condition is fine.
The two illegal vessels were apprehended by the PNG Defence Force naval ship HPNGS Seadler while fishing in the waters of Milne Bay.
A total of 77 drums of beche-de-mer, or sea cucumbers, were found on board the foreign vessels.
Charged individually, all 50 fishermen appeared before Magistrate John Kaumi at the Bomana District Court house in March.
They were charged with one count of illegal fishing of sea cucumbers under the National Fisheries Management Act of 1998.