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Govt to boost fisheries, oil and gas business in Natuna
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Improving fisheries -- Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli speaks at a discussion in Jakarta. The minister said on Wednesday that Indonesia had tapped only 9 percent of the potential of the fisheries sector in Natuna. (Tempo/-)
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span style="font-size:11.0pt">The government aims to speed up the development of fisheries and the oil and gas business in Natuna waters, Riau Islands, in a bid to exploit the province’s economic potential.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli said Indonesia had tapped only 9 percent of the fisheries potential in Natuna.
The government was set to accelerate the issuance of fishing permits, he said, by giving permits to fishermen from the Java Sea to go fishing in Natuna waters.
"The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry will give them permission to go fishing within a range of 120 miles into Natuna waters," Rizal said.
He said the government would also ask the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry to help local fishing companies get capital from national banks to expand their capacity and enable them to go fishing in Natuna waters.
"So we will reaffirm our strategy. We will not return to the old regime, which allowed foreign-flagged vessels in Natuna. The fishing opportunities in Natuna will be given to local fishermen through loan and investment assistance, so that their fishing capacity […] can be improved," Rizal Ramli said at the State Palace on Wednesday.
Aside from the fisheries sector, the minister said, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had instructed the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to accelerate the production of oil and gas in Natuna. Currently, there are 16 oil and gas blocks in Natuna, but only five of them are in production. (ebf)
