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EDITORIAL: Susi's war
Tens of thousands of fishermen and unskilled laborers have been left unemployed since the war commenced, according to Bank Indonesia.
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Since taking office in October, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has ordered the sinking of 317 illegal fishing vessels, comprising mostly of ships originating from neighboring countries. (Antara Foto/Sigid Kurniawan)
T
here are almost no strong arguments to suggest that the full-fledged war on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, spearheaded by firebrand Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, has faltered and descended into oblivion.
Since taking office in October, Susi has ordered the sinking of 317 illegal fishing vessels, comprising mostly of ships originating from neighboring countries. Even ships from Asia’s superpower China were not immune as three were sunk. She has also enforced a series of prohibitions on the use of imported vessels, catching devices, exports of several fishing commodities and transshipment practices — transferring catches in the middle of the sea to transport vessels bound for export.
Many studies have suggested the war has yielded a rise in Indonesia’s fish resources after decades of overfishing, and has garnered Susi domestic and international praise. Her unique charisma and undeterred policy to protect the marine ecosystem has made her the most popular minister.
However, Susi’s penchant for blowing up vessels and enforcing prohibitions has not been accompanied by serious attempts to raise the prosperity of fishermen either through fish cultivation or by providing them with environmentally friendly catching devices.
Tens of thousands of fishermen and unskilled laborers have been left unemployed since the war commenced, according to Bank Indonesia. They can no longer fish because their devices are not environmentally friendly, and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has gone at a snail’s pace to equip them with sustainable fishing tools.
Demands from fishermen, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and fellow Cabinet members for Susi to come up with alternatives to prevent unemployment have been left unheeded. Susi has even accused them of dancing to the tune of the fishing mafia.
As the risks of unemployment can turn ugly, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reversed Susi’s policy and allowed fishermen nationwide to return to using a modified type of trawl net, known locally as cantrang, which has caused environmental damage.
