The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry intends to reduce the frequency of ship monitoring from 280 days last year to 144 days in 2016 as a result of third-party support and limited fuel allocation.

Maritime and Fisheries Monitoring Task Force (PSDKP) director of monitoring and management Tyas Budiman said PSDKP officers worked very hard in 2015, leading to 280 days of operation, or four times more than in 2014. This year, the task force will launch fewer operations.

"Our operation is constrained by the fuel budget, which is related to the fuel price. With a Rp 600 billion budget in 2014, we patrolled on only 66 days that year but managed to monitor 1,600 ships and catch 34 ships[fishing illegally]," Tyas said.

PSDKP general director Asep Burhanudin said third parties such as the Navy, water police and the public (organized in the Maritime and Fisheries Monitoring Society, POKMASWAS) had helped the PSDKP in its tasks.

"In 2015, 2,229 ships were monitored. The Navy and water police monitored half of them. Of the 157 ships [involved in illegal fishing], 129 were caught by the PSDKP and the remainder by third parties," Asep said at a media conference on Tuesday in Jakarta.

The ministry, he continued, has developed POKMASWAS, with 1,488 people participating. He expected third parties to improve their participation in supervising Indonesian waters. (ags)(+)

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