GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS CONTINUED WAR AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING by Fardah

   Jakarta, Aug 20, 2015 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed his deep concern over illegal fishing activities that have inflicted huge financial losses on Indonesia.

         "Illegal fishing and fish thefts have caused huge losses to the state," President Jokowi stated while delivering his State of the Nation Address during the Plenary Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on August 14, 2015.

        Therefore, he urged that the country's waters be saved from illegal fishing activities. In this regard, stern actions must be taken, such as sinking boats caught stealing fish from the Indonesian waters, among other measures, he noted.

         He earlier remarked that the country annually lost Rp300 trillion as a result of illegal fishing activities.

          "I was informed by the minister of fisheries and marine affairs that every day, as many as seven thousand boats poached our fish. I asked her about the extent of losses we incurred due to fish poaching every year, to which she answered Rp300 trillion," he pointed out while opening the 3rd congress of the Alumni Association of the Indonesian Nationalist Students' Movement (GMNI) recently.

         Jokowi expressed regret over the loss of the state's potential source of income, which could have been used to improve the welfare of the people.

        The president's directive on taking stern actions against fish poachers has been hailed by the maritime affairs and fisheries minister as well as the Indonesian Navy.

        Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has reiterated that the war waged against fish poachers by sinking their vessels, continues.

       In addition to the ministry, the Indonesian Navy has also reaffirmed that the Navy will have no hesitation to follow the instructions because poaching by foreign fishing boats not only is a violation of Indonesian laws, but also challenges the sovereignty of Indonesia's maritime territory, First Admiral M Zainudin, spokesman of the Navy, said on August 15.

        In fighting against fish theft, Minister Susi has urged local fishermen to participate in the movement by reporting any suspicious fishing vessels they spot to security agencies.

        She also acknowledged that fishermen served as the spearhead of the efforts made to protect Indonesian waters from fish poachers.

         "Fish in Indonesian waters must be caught by local fishermen. Other countries are only allowed to buy our fish for processing," she pointed out during a working visit to Jembrana district, Bali, recently.

        Indonesia, which has the second-longest coastline in the world, is ranked the fifth-largest fish exporter in Southeast Asia, she added.

       "The stern measures taken by the Indonesian government against fish poachers have been fruitful, including in Kupang where local fisherman caught tuna fish weighing up to a hundred kilograms. This holds true for the rest of the country, as well," Suso Pudjiastuti remarked.

       In the meantime, the Indonesia Navy, in cooperation with the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry, destroyed 35 foreign fishing boats in May 2015,  and planned to destroy 12 more for poaching in Indonesian waters on Aug 18.

       "The 12 foreign fishing boats were apprehended by Indonesian Navy warships," First Admiral M Zainudin said.

       The boats include four Thai-flagged boats, three Filipino-flagged, four Vietnamese-flagged, and one Malaysian-flagged boat.  
  "The sinking of the boats will be held at three different locations, notably in the Tarempa Naval Base (in Batam Province), the Rinai Naval Base (in Riau Islands Province), and in the Tarakan Naval Base (in North Kalimantan Province)," he explained.

        The ministry in cooperation with navy sank more than 35 such ships in a number of areas on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the country's independence. Hundreds of tons of fish were confiscated from the impounded boats, Zainuddin stated.

         The destruction of the fishing boats follows rulings issued by local courts, he stated.

       The maritime affairs and fisheries ministry's Director General of Maritime and Fisheries Resources Control Asep Burhanudin recently said the ministry  needed a number of mother ships to secure Indonesian seas from illegal fishing.

         However, the fund for the ships procurement is yet to be allocated in the 2016 state budget, he added.

       The idea about the mother ships came from Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Asep said after overseeing the explosion  and sinking on Tuesday in the sea off Lemukutran, West Kalimantan five foreign fishing vessels found illegally operating in Indonesian waters.

         Asep said the mother ships would serve not only to store up frozen fishes, but also to carry logistics and fuels, and for training and as health post.

        He said the ministry already has 27 units of surveillance ship that could operate the whole year with fuel enough for 280 days.

        In 2014, the maritime and fisheries ministry already examined 1,600 ships and 34 of them were legally processed.

        The number rose in 2015 with examination already covering 2,216 ships and 39 of them going to court.

        Furthermore, President Jokowi will soon ratify a decree on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to Minister Susi.

        "This decree is an urgent requirement to deter perpetrators of the crime," the minister remarked.

        The presidential decree will serve as the basis for the illegal fishing task force, formed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, to take action against perpetrators of the crime.

        "This regulation is intended to allow the task force to take action against the criminals legally and formally. The Fisheries Act can be applied directly while capturing them. It is important that the legal processes do not stop in court," she emphasized.

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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 20-08-2015 11:33:20