Jakarta, May 18 (IANS): Indonesia plans to destroy 30 foreign vessels caught fishing illegally in its waters, President Joko Widodo announced on Monday.

"Soon, we will sink around 30 vessels," the president said at the Presidential Palace, without specifying the origins of the boats.

The policy of destroying illegal ships was launched by the Indonesian government in December last year.

Widodo blamed his subordinates for the sluggish execution of his orders for sinking the boats, reported the Jakarta Post.

"In the past, I have had to repeat my instructions three times before they finally agreed to sink the ships," he said.

Since December, the government has sunk over a dozen foreign boats from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, sparking regional diplomatic uproar.

The government has detained at least eight Chinese vessels for illegal fishing, but has held back from sinking them as a result of intense diplomatic pressure from Beijing.