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Government to get tough on unlicensed foreign ships
The government is ready to implement joint efforts to protect Indonesian waters from illegal fishing, including by imposing the drastic measure of sinking ships to deter such prevalent violations
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he government is ready to implement joint efforts to protect Indonesian waters from illegal fishing, including by imposing the drastic measure of sinking ships to deter such prevalent violations.
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo summoned Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko and National Police chief Gen. Sutarman, to his office on Monday night to discuss the joint efforts.
The meeting was held following Jokowi's call last week to apply drastic measures against foreign ships stealing fish from Indonesia's seas.
The 2009 Fishery Law permits fishery monitoring officers or investigators, including those under Susi's office, the military and the police, to carry out specific actions such as burning and sinking foreign fishing vessels fishing illegally.
Prevalent illegal fishing carried out by fishermen from its neighboring countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and China have trespassed on the country's vast territorial waters, leaving it with declining catches.
'It was an order from the President. The bottom line is that the TNI and the police should support us [the ministry],' Susi, who had earlier complained that the military had done less than a stellar job protecting the country's territorial waters, said after the meeting on Monday night.
The Navy previously brushed off Susi's criticism, saying that it could only operate 15 of its 70 sea patrol vessels daily on account of a limited fuel supply.
After the meeting, Moeldoko confirmed that he supported Susi, and at the same time, was identifying ways to work together to impose such measures.
Moeldoko also revealed he had proposed additional fuel supplies for the patrol ships during the meeting, saying that, with the extra fuel, around 159 ships would be ready to safeguard the waters.
'We have the budget already. Now we have [to find ways] to coordinate [to protect the waters]. Don't act alone,' he said on Monday night. 'Coordination in enforcing the law in waters is very important.'
Retno, meanwhile, said such drastic measures to enforce the law would not hamper diplomatic ties between Indonesia and other countries.
'We must show a firm stance in enforcing the law,' she said.
Jokowi has repeatedly said that the country has lost around Rp 300 trillion annually from illegal fishing and that there were currently 5,400 illegal ships operating in Indonesian waters because of a lack of firm action by the government.
University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said such drastic measures would not violate any international laws as long as they were conducted in Indonesian waters.
'It is our territory. We can carry measures that are permitted by our own law [the 2009 Fishery Law],' he said on Tuesday.
Susi's office is waiting for the signing of a memorandum of understandings (MoU) on combating illegal fishing with the ambassadors of Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and China, slated for Dec. 13.
The ministry is also waiting for the Law and Human Rights Ministry to issue a government regulation that would prohibit the open-sea transshipment of goods, amid reports of wide-scale illegal exports.
