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New fishing rules threaten livelihood of nearly 1 million people: Kadin
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Fishermen replace trawls with gillnets on a fishing boat at Jongor Seaport in Tegal, Central Java, on Dec. 28. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said new fishing rules threatened the livelihood of 960,000 fishers. (Antara/Oky Lukmansyah)
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recently passed regulation on fisheries jeopardizes the livelihood of nearly 1 million fisherfolk, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Regulation No. 71/2016 on fishing zones and equipment, which entered into force on Jan. 1, mandates gillnet fishing instead of seine fishing.
(Read also: Govt to make tougher rules against fishing of endangered species)
The vice chairman of the fisheries division at the Kadin’s Jakarta chapter, Wajan Sudjana, said 48,000 fishing boats in four provinces – Banten, West Java, Central Java and East Java – had been idle since the new regulation took effect, posing a direct risk to the jobs of around 960,000 fisherfolk and affecting another 5 million jobs in the wider fisheries industry, such as boat mechanics and fish processors.
“Some of the 48,000 have stopped fishing earlier, back in November or December, but all the others stopped simultaneously on Jan. 1, as the new ministry regulation bans the use of 17 kinds of fishing tools,” Wajan told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
He added that some fishermen in Java’s northern coastal area, locally known as Pantura, had reported the case to local administrations and the ministry, requesting a six-month transition period for the full implementation of the new regulation. (lnd)
