L

ess than two months into his term, President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has shown he dares to make a difference, especially in comparison with his predecessor.

First, Jokowi has defied the majority opposing him in the House of Representatives by governing effectively. Second, he braved mounting challenges to raise subsidized fuel prices. Third and most recently, he ordered the Navy to sink foreign ships caught poaching fish in the country'€™s territorial waters.

The Navy executed the '€œsink the boat'€ policy when its frogmen blew up three Vietnamese fishing boats in Tanjung Pedas waters near Anambas Islands regency in Riau Islands province on Friday.

The boats had been captured early in November and all 33 people who were on board them are now in detention and will soon face trial.

Critics quickly quipped that the measure was simply part of a Jokowi PR exercise, as indicated by the wide media exposure of the exploding fishing boats. For many the execution of the President'€™s order resembled a ceremony with dozens of high-ranking officers from the Navy, the Maritime Security Coordinating Board and local governments at hand.

It'€™s true that the sinking was symbolic, but we cannot deny that we need a symbol to achieve something bigger. In the fight against corruption, for example, the arrest of a public official is badly needed to send a strong message that the state is serious in eradicating graft.

It is the message about his government'€™s all-out war on illegal fishing that Jokowi is trying to send to foreign fish poachers, who estimates say have robbed between US$2 billion and 5 billion annually from the country through illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Had the practice been absent, Indonesia could have built thousands of schools and other basic infrastructure and provided the healthcare that remains elusive for many citizens, particularly those in remote areas.

There is nothing new regarding the '€œsink the boat'€ policy, since it is stipulated in Article 69 of the 2009 Law on fisheries. That the previous government failed to implement it, is strictly a matter of law enforcement. Perhaps because of this absence of tough measures illegal fishing remained unabated.

Indonesia supplies more than one-third of ASEAN'€™s fish products, but the amount could be higher given the fact that the Arafura, Sulawesi and Natuna seas are vulnerable to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. One of the classic reasons for the rampant poaching is a lack of personnel and patrol boats to protect the vast waters from fish poachers, who come from neighboring countries.

The huge state losses resulting from illegal fishing, not to mention coral reef destruction and other environmental damage, therefore need a shock therapy that can deter fish poachers from looting Indonesia'€™s maritime wealth. Sinking the fishing boats only marks a start to the government'€™s serious efforts to address illegal fishing.

As many have suspected, the fish poachers could not operate without protection. The war on illegal fishing should therefore also be aimed at those who try to rock the boat.