TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
The quandary that comes with illegal poachers
The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry arrested several weeks ago a Vietnamese fishing boat for allegedly operating illegally in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone, around Natuna, Riau Islands
Change Size
The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry arrested several weeks ago a Vietnamese fishing boat for allegedly operating illegally in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone, around Natuna, Riau Islands. The boat was said to not have the necessary permits to fish in the area.
The fishing boat from Vietnam was among the boats arrested by the government this year. It was reported that there were 103 cases of illegal fishing involving 55 foreign boats in 2015. Of the 55 foreign boats, 36 boats were from Vietnam, eight from the Philippines, six from Malaysia and five from Thailand.
The majority of the boats were caught near Natuna territory, as the area is rich with maritime resources and is the country's gate to the disputed South China Sea.
In line with legal procedures, the arrested fishing boats, including their crews, were taken to Natuna for questioning and to await trail.
'We get at least seven illegal fishing boats every month. The crews create burdens for us,' Natuna Regent Ilyas Sabli told The Jakarta Post.
Ilyas said that the local government had to provide food for the fisherfolk until the end of their trials, which often took a while to come to a close.
'The boats are anchored in our ports and they [the crews] can't go anywhere. We make sure they don't starve by giving them food every day. Meanwhile, we don't have the funds for this purpose,' Ilyas said.
In 2015, Natuna received a budget of Rp 950 billion, which was lower than the Rp 1.4 trillion hoped for. The small budget, Ilyas added, was not enough to cover the cost of feeding hundreds of suspected illegal fishing boat crewmembers that had become the responsibility of the Natuna authority.
The Natuna authority and Indonesian Navy are working hand in hand to deal with the issue; however, the Navy lacks funds as well.
'Combating illegal fishing is more than arresting the boats committing crimes. We should also think about the process and how to deal with the boat crews,' Ilyas added.
Besides being a serious burden for the local authority, the crewmembers had also become threats to locals.
'Most crewmembers stay on their boats and don't disturb the locals but I admit that there have been some incidents. For instance, coconuts belonging to locals have been stolen. These fishermen have shown poor behavior but I understand that they lead hard lives,' he said
Besides the number of crimes, assimilation has also occurred.
'Seven women in Natuna have married foreign crewmembers and the husbands decided to stay in Natuna even though their cases had closed. I believe the number might be bigger because Natuna has many small islands,' Ilyas said.
Although the marriages are unregistered, Ilyas believed other problems could occur in the future, such as issues revolving around the nationality of their children.
Illegal fishing was a serious problem in Natuna before Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti pledged to combat illegal fishing activities in Indonesia.
The Natuna area, which is located in the open sea, is a heaven for fisherfolk seeking maritime resources. Most local fisherfolk have found it difficult to compete with their foreign counterparts for resources, even being met with threats from the foreign boats.
'In one incident, our fishermen were forced to leave the area by foreign fishing boats. These foreigners took our resources freely while a big vessel belonging to their country supervised them nearby. This humiliated us,' Laut Island district head Anrizalzen said.
Anrizalzen said he hoped the government would place several warships in Natuna to protect local fishermen.
Poaching is also a concern for Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu. During his visit to Natuna last month, Ryamizard promised that he would strengthen military presence in the area to combat illegal fishing.
'We will strengthen our force, including by deploying patrol boats and warships to combat illegal fishing in Natuna waters. We will secure Natuna by all means,' Ryamizard said.
