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Government extends trawl usage to June
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Fishermen replace trawls with gillnet on a fishing ship at Jongor Seaport in Tegal, Central Java, on Dec. 28. The Tegal Fishermen Forum says only 3 percent of 576 fishermen had replaces trawls on their fishing ships with more sustainable fishing equipment when the deadline passed on Jan. 1. Therefore, the government has extended their use for another six months. (Antara/Oky Lukmansyah)
T
he government will extend the use of trawls for another six month until June, an extension from the previous deadline of December 2016 amid ongoing efforts to replace unsustainable fishing equipment.
The ministry will disseminate information about the equipment replacement program to fishermen so that in June, they will be ready to shift to more sustainable fishing equipment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry acting director general of fishing Zulficar Mochtar said.
"We have already prepared 2,091 pieces of fishing equipment to replace unsustainable ones, including trawls and seine nets," Zulficar said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
Trawls and seine nets are mostly used in Java and a small number in Kalimantan, with fishermen in Central Java using mostly trawls with 10,758 ships as of 2015 Most from that number are small to medium size ships between 10 to 30 GT, he added.
"Other regions have already rejected trawls and seine nets, the fishermen have even independently made agreements between themselves to prohibit the use of such equipment," he said.
The ministry also offers incentive for those wanting to replace their equipment, by allowing them to fish in Arafura and Natuna seas, known for their high fish population compared to the Java Sea, Zulfikar added.
The trawl prohibition has sparked protest, especially from Central Java fishermen, because it will reduce yields and shifting to other fishing equipment comes with high costs. (bbn)
