I

llegal catches by foreign fishermen in Indonesian waters in the last 10 years has caused Rp 30 trillion (US$3.21 billion) in losses the state, according to reports by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as quoted by government official.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN working group on fisheries meeting in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, an expert on international and intercountry cooperation, Anang Nugraha, said that the majority of thefts occurred in territorial waters.

“We have abundant marine resources, but it’s foreign thieves that have been enjoying them,” Anang said.

Quoting data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Anang said that illegal fishing practices in Indonesian waters had caused the country to incur losses of Rp 30 trillion over the last 10 years.

“Through this meeting, hopefully there will be an agreement on a regional action plan among the 11 countries in order to prevent and curb fishing practices indicated as illegal,” he said.

The action plan, according to Anang, would be realized by exchanging data, harmonizing regulations and improving the fishery management capacity of the respective countries.

“We are committed to improving the surveillance of marine and fishery resources. We will continue fighting against illegal practices,” secretary-general of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Gellwynn Jusuf, said.

Intensified surveillance, according to Gellwynn, would focus on fishing areas commonly visited by foreign fishermen.

“Thanks to improvements in 2010, we succeeded in saving the state Rp 912 billion,” Gellwynn said.

Security improvements, he added, could be sought by collaborating with other ASEAN member countries.

Fishermen’s lack of knowledge about the borders between neighboring countries, weather and limited fishing equipment have also been blamed for moderate catches.

The inability to take in larger catches due a lack of equipment is a persistent problem for fishermen in Bantul, Yogyakarta.

Sudiyo, a Bantul fisherman, said that only big ships were capable of taking advantage of the abundant marine resources in the country.

“Most fishermen here only use small motorized boats, and if we go farther than 19 kilometers, we cannot get back home because we run out of gasoline,” Sudiyo said.