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Protecting our fishermen beyond borders
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A boat carrying fishermen (Shutterstock.com/Laboo Studio)
E
ighteen fishermen were arrested by Timor Leste’s navy on Jan. 19. The news was also later confirmed by the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, which closely monitored the incident.
Interestingly, it was confirmed that the fishermen were selling fish to one of their middlemen in Timor Leste. This is nothing new because it is a tradition that is beneficial to both sides. So, why were they arrested?
When I read the news for the first time, I thought it had something to do with crossing a maritime boundary. This is usually a common reason for arresting someone, but in the case of Indonesia-Timor Leste, the story can take on another dimension. Apparently, crossing the border was not the reason behind the arrests. In addition, it was confirmed that the fishermen had the necessary documents to trade with the middlemen in Timor Leste, so they were not doing anything illegal.
It turns out that the reason they were arrested was because they were caught in possession of compressors and other equipment that, according to Timor Leste law, may not be used to fish in its waters.
