FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING ACTIVITIES INTENSIFIED by Fardah

 Jakarta, Nov 22, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia has been blessed with abundant maritime natural resources that could make other countries envious.

        This prompts several other nations to carry out illegal fishing activities in Indonesian waters.

        The government has claimed that the illegal fishing activities in the country's waters had caused a loss of hundreds of trillions of rupiahs a year to the state.

        The Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration has declared a war against illegal fishing activities since the inauguration of the president in October 2014.

        As of now, hundreds of foreign fishing boats caught illegally operating in Indonesian waters  have been exploded and sunk in the sea over the past two years of the present government.

        The war against illegal fishing activities has been spearheaded by Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti with the support of other parties, particularly the Indonesian Navy.

        The government has even set up an Illegal Fishing Eradication Task Force (Task Force 115) to combat poaching in Indonesian waters.

         The Task Force 115 has made a synergy with other agencies and institutions in its operation.

        The inter-ministry task force acts as the supervisor and executor for the legal process of tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing cases.

         Pudjiastuti has lauded the Task Force 115 for its successful performance in seeking to stamp out illegal fishing.

NATIONS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT FISHERY CRIMES by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 13, 2016 (Antara) - Illegal fishing is linked to other criminal activities and can be addressed effectively only if there's a global collaboration to combat it.

         The issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related crimes, such as drugs smuggling, human trafficking and the smuggling of arms and protected animals, were among the topics discussed at the Second International Symposium on Fisheries Crime, or the FishCRIME Symposium, held in Yogyakarta on October 10.

         Seas are a source of income for 520 million people across the world and provide food to 2.6 billion people.

        However, illegal fishing practices have reduced the world's fish stock by 90.1 percent, said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in his opening remark at the symposium.

         Unregulated fishing is a serious threat not just to the fishery industry, but also to the environment.

         Indonesia's experiences are proof that illegal fishing activities cannot be ignored. The country suffers economic losses to the tune of US$20 billion annually because of unregulated fishing. The crime has also threatened the existence of 65 percent of the country's coral reefs.

         Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2014 said Indonesia ranks second among the world's largest sea fish producers, with its total catch amounting to 6 million tons, or 6.8 percent of the world's sea fish catch. "We believe that this figure is below Indonesia's maximum potential, (which is affected) due to IUU fishing practices," Jokowi said.

         Jokowi called for a global collaboration to fight illegal fishing, which has become a serious, organized transnational crime.

INTERNATIONAL SYNERGY CRUCIAL TO COMBAT ILLEGAL FISHING by Fardah

  Jakarta, Sept 17, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia's future depends on the ocean as two-thirds of its territory is water and at least 140 million of its people, including 2.6 fishermen, rely on marine and coastal ecosystems for their livelihood.

        Being one of the world`s largest maritime countries with about 5.8 million square kilometers of marine territory, Indonesia has abundant fishery potential, and is the world's second largest producer of wild-capture fish, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 
    However, close to 65 percent of Indonesia's coral reefs are considered under threat from overfishing, while unreported and illegal fishing leads to some US$20 billion worth of lost revenue, World Bank data showed in 2015.

         Life on Earth depends on the ocean.  A healthy ocean is central to human well-being.  The ocean feeds billions of people, employs millions of workers, and generates trillions of dollars to the world economy.

          Internationally, however, between $75billion and $125 billion of global output annually goes waste due to ineffective fish stock management and illegal fishing.

         Given the enormous threat of illegal fishing activities, Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti highlighted the issue in her presentation during 'Our Ocean' conference held in Washington DC, the United States, on September 15 and 16. 
   "Indonesia continues, and incessantly fights illegal fishing," the minister stated.

INDONESIA MAINTAINS UNWAVERING STANCE ON ITS SOVEREIGNTY OVER NATUNA WATERS by Fardah

Jakarta, July 2, 2016 (Antara)- Indonesia has never altered its position that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Natuna waters, and all its resources, fall within its sovereign territories, and asks other countries to honor this fact.

         The EEZ and all its riches are the sovereign property of a country. Any agreement on its exploitation must have the signatures of those countries involved, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti stated recently, referring to a claim by the Chinese government that the Natuna sea is its "traditional fishing ground."    
    The Indonesian government, however, does not accept the Chinese claim and insists that it will indiscriminately apprehend ships conducting illegal fishing in its waters, regardless of their origin country.

           The minister remarked that no single agreement on traditional fishing grounds had yet been signed with China, and so, Chinese ships fishing in the area will be considered to be violating Indonesian laws.

           Indonesia has, so far, only inked an agreement over traditional fishing grounds with Malaysia, which is limited to an area in the Malacca Strait, according to Susi Pudjiastuti.

INDONESIA COMMITTED TO PROTECTING RESOURCE-RICH NATUNA WATERS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 24, 2016 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo's limited cabinet meeting aboard Indonesian warship KRI Imam Bonjol in the Natuna waters, directly linked to the South China Sea, on June 23, signals the nation's commitment to maintaining its territorial sovereignty.

        KRI Imam Bonjol-383 was the same warship that had foiled an attempt by a group of Chinese fishing vessels to poach in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone in the Natuna waters on June 17 and had detained one of the vessels and its seven Chinese crew members.

        The arrest had triggered a protest by the Chinese government, which claimed that the fishing vessels were in the so-called "Chinese traditional fishing grounds," something that had never been recognized by Indonesia.

        During the rare sea trip to the Natuna waters, the president was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, Maritime and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Armed Forces Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo.

        The meeting on board the naval warship was held to discuss the economic potential of the Natuna Islands, which are viewed as the country's strategic zone.  

NONDISCRIMINATORY FIGHT LAUNCHED AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING ACTIVITIES IN INDONESIAN WATERS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 14, 2016 (Antara)- Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has been consistent and courageous in her approach to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) activities in Indonesian waters.

         To protect the sovereignty of Indonesia's maritime territory and safeguard its marine resources, Minister Susi has vowed to continue taking firm action by destroying fishing boats or ships caught poaching in Indonesian waters, regardless of their countries of origin.          
    Indonesia's consistent stance was demonstrated in late May 2016 when the Naval ship Oswal Siahaan-354 detained Chinese fishing trawler Gui Bei Yu for poaching in the nation's exclusive economic zone in Natuna Sea, Riau Islands.

         The warship was forced to fire several warning shots against the Chinese fishing boat before finally detaining it.

         Indonesia's maritime security authorities deserve a thumbs up for their bravery in carrying out the arrest despite the presence of a Chinese government's ship.

         Various media platforms in China had reported the Chinese government's claim that the fishing vessel was operating in a "traditional fishing ground," which in fact, was not recognized internationally.

         The Indonesian government has affirmed that the area is within its territory, and therefore, it has sent a diplomatic note seeking a clarification on the "traditional fishing ground" claimed by China.

INDONESIA DEMONSTRATES ZERO TOLERANCE AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING by Fardah

Jakarta, April 21, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia, under the administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), has demonstrated zero tolerance against illegal fishing activities in its seas.

        Since 2015, the government has blown up and sunk at least 174 fishing boats, mostly foreign fishing vessels, for poaching in Indonesian waters.

        During a visit to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, on April 19, President Jokowi reiterated Indonesia's firm stance against illegal fishing as it violated the country's sovereignty and harmed the marine environment of the Indonesian waters.

        "Especially with regard to maritime resources, we will continue to uphold a firm stance to not tolerate any illegal fishing activities in our waters," Jokowi stated before delegates from 107 member states and 53 non-governmental organizations in his address to the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee.

        Earlier, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti had stated that the government will continue to take firm action by destroying fishing boats caught illegally operating in Indonesian waters to preserve its marine resources.

INDONESIA'S FIRM STANCE ON CHINA'S TERRITORIAL VIOLATIONS LAUDED by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 22, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was seemingly furious when she received a report about a Chinese flagged fishing vessel and a coast guard vessel violating the country's territorial waters off Natuna Island.

        As per the report, her ministry's patrol ship Hiu 11 had intercepted and detained FV Kway Fey 10078 on March 19 for fishing illegally in Indonesian waters off Natuna, Riau Islands.

         However, just when the Kway Fey, weighing 200 gross tonnage (GT),  was being taken away by the Hiu 11, a Chinese coast guard ship came all of a sudden and hit KM Kway Fei, ostensibly to prevent the Chinese fishing vessel from being taken to the Indonesian shore.

        To prevent a clash, the maritime and fishery ministry (KKP)   officers left FV Kway Fey and returned to the Hiu 11, bringing along  eight crew members of the Chinese fishing vessel.

         The minister told reporters on March 20 itself of her intention to "lodge a strong diplomatic protest," since the incident had taken place in the Indonesian economic exclusive zone (EEZ).

         "The intervention by the Chinese coastguard ship was a blatant violation of Indonesian sovereignty," the minister said, adding she would summon the Chinese ambassador for explanation.

BILATERAL, MULTILATERAL COOPERATION NEEDED TO FIGHT ILLEGAL FISHING by Fardah

Jakarta, March 18, 2016 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed to partly blow up FV Viking, so the other part could be turned into a monument to serve as a reminder of the fight against illegal fishing activities.

        Jokowi decided to make FV Viking a monument as the foreign fishing ship had poached fish in the waters of several countries and had managed to evade arrest until the Indonesian Navy was finally able to capture it.    
    "For years, 13 countries had been on the lookout for FV Viking, a ship that had poached fish in several countries. Indonesia has managed to catch it - Jkw," President Jokowi tweeted on his Twitter account @jokowi on March 14.

         The FV Viking vessel had allegedly violated some international laws and conventions and had committed fraud by conducting illegal fishing practices.

          Earlier, Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs Susi Pudjiastuti had revealed that according to the Norwegian Interpol, the fugitive vessel had changed its name 13 times and had used 12 different flags, thus the ship was designated as a stateless vessel.