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Minister Susi rejects idea to auction off confiscated fishing boats
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Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti speaks in front of House of Representatives Commission IV, which oversees Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, during a hearing in Jakarta on July 11. (Antara/M Agung Rajasa)
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aritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has rejected a proposal to auction off three fishing boats confiscated after being used for poaching.
“There is no plan to auction the ships or any other measure but to sink them,” Susi said in Jakarta on Monday, as reported by kompas.com, adding that there had been no order on the matter from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
The Batam Prosecutors’ Office in Riau Islands has reportedly suggested to auction off three foreign vessels, while the Attorney General’s Office is now studying the proposal.
Read also: Around the world: FAO praises RI for combating illegal fishingThe boats in question are the 150-gross-tonnage (GT) KM KNF 7444, the 100-GT KM KNF 7858 and the 16-GT KM SLFA 5066. The three captains have been found guilty of illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.
Susi said ships that had been confiscated by the state because of illegal fishing could not be used to carry out fishing activities. She said her ministry was open to other options, though.
“If there is a proposal to convert them into research ships, we may discuss it further,” she said, adding that many confiscated foreign ships were not only used for illegal fishing but also for other crimes, like smuggling.
Meanwhile, she added, confiscated ships would fetch only very low prices at an auction. For instance, a 100-GT ship was offered at Rp 186 million (US$13,975), while in fact it could be worth about Rp 1 billion, she added. (bbn)
