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Fighting fisheries crimes: Ways forward
For Indonesia, IUU fishing is provisioned under the Criminal Code while other countries see it only as an administrative issue.
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Sunken: A foreign-flagged vessel that illegally fished in Indonesian territories is sunken in Natuna waters, Riau Islands, on Aug. 17, 2016. (POOL/Dokumentasi KKP)
T
his third symposium on fisheries crimes held by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in Vienna on Sept. 25-26 seemed so different. Those in attendance shared a positive and strong commitment to the fight against fish poachers and crimes along the value chain of fisheries.
This followed the first fisheries crimes symposium held in Cape Town (2015) and the second in Yogyakarta (2016). The collaborative and tireless efforts of the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, UNO DC, Interpol, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the North Atlantic Fisheries Intelligence Group and the PescaDOLUS research network to bring about this crucial matter to the fore has attracted global attention.
This could be observed by the large number of participants at the symposiums including the growing number of ministers attending and declaring their commitment. Thailand promised to fight Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and bring the perpetrators to justice. The country has been trying to change its image as an IUU fishing friendly nation to a robust and committed state in combating IUU fishing and fisheries crimes.
China’s statement at the forum was interesting too. It perceived IUU fishing as activities not associated to Transnational Organized Crimes (TOC). China refused to exercise too much force to enforce the law. It is also viewed fishing in disputed water as incomparable with IUU fishing.
Having the biggest fishing fleet in the world, China’s position is imperative because flag states are responsible for effectively exercising its jurisdiction in terms of administrative, technical and social over fishing vessels flying its flags.
While the representatives of China, Indonesia and other countries shared the same forum, China’s perception of IUU fishing and TOC could be viewed as a direct message to Indonesia and other countries that seek to eradicate IUU fishing and TOC.
China has barely changed its traditional interest, which is interesting to discuss because Indonesia and China have overlapping claims of exclusive economic zone and the two perceive IUU fishing differently.
