It’s only a little over two months since Indonesia’s new maritime affairs and fisheries minister stepped into office; the politician Edhy Prabowo has replaced the “lowly educated” but popular Susi Pudjiastuti

“I’ve made many changes and controversial policies. We are proud that one out of six tuna in the world belongs to Indonesia and [we are] number one in fisheries trade balance in Southeast Asia. So, keep Indonesia at number one,” Susi said during the handover ceremony at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry last October.

Despite criticism on the limits of her achievements, the National Committee on Fish Stock Assessment, for instance, reported that the maximum sustainable yield of Indonesian fisheries has increased significantly. From 2015 to 2017 alone, the Indonesian fisheries stock was estimated to increase from 7.3 million tons to 12.54 million tons.

Therefore, Susi gave her successor a strong message, hoping that the ministry’s hard work over the past five years would be continued by the new minister. Indeed, during her time in the office, Susi has often been highlighted as one of the most successful ministers in promoting sustainable fisheries as well as protecting Indonesia’s fisheries stock from illegal foreign fishing vessels.

However, recent reports highlighted many illegal foreign fishing vessels, including those from Vietnam and China that have returned to operate in the Natuna Sea in parts of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Indonesian coast guard immediately kicked them out of Indonesia’s jurisdiction.

Most recently the Navy forced Chinese fishing vessels to leave Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, triggering a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The incidents raise the question: Will illegal foreign fishing vessels strike back now that Susi has left office?

In his first week in office, Minister Edhy announced he might take a different approach from Susi in terms of her controversial “blowing up and sinking vessels” policy. He said he might focus more on increasing Indonesia’s fisheries exports by creating better communication with the business sector.

Moreover, the new minister also has a different approach in terms of institutions within the ministry. The presidential task force on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, also known as Presidential Task Force 115, was initially created to enhance coordination among all Indonesian law enforcement agencies, including the coast guard and the Navy, to combat IUU fishing.

They also have the authority to take action against illegal poachers and other perpetrators of related offenses caught in Indonesia’s territorial waters; therefore, they were known as the support system behind Susi’s success in implementing the sinking vessels policy.

However, Edhy argued it was better to strengthen the ministry’s central role rather than rely on the task force.

Meanwhile, some foreign fishing vessels accused of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters may not in fact be illegal. For instance, as Indonesia currently still has unresolved maritime boundaries in the EEZ with Vietnam, allegations that Vietnamese fishing vessels illegally fish in Indonesian waters could be contested. The precise locations of incidents should be clear.

On the other hand, the issue of allegedly illegal Chinese fishing in the Natuna Sea might be more complicated, since parts of Indonesia’s EEZ in the North Natuna Sea are included in China’s “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea, which China unilaterally claims as a traditional fishing ground. The conditions might worsen because China often sends its coast guard to escort its illegal fishing vessels.

In such cases where it is already clear such incidents had taken place in the Indonesian EEZ, Indonesia should have zero tolerance over such illegal fishing practices, and should strongly respond against them. IUU fishing practices are not only harmful to the Indonesian economy but also threaten Indonesia’s fisheries stocks and fisheries sustainability.

Indonesia, therefore, should not step back in the fight against IUU fishing, and should continue to send a strong message to the world that Indonesia still takes IUU fishing seriously.

Despite the controversy of the vessel-sinking policy, indications are that the policy has effectively increased Indonesian fisheries stocks and decreased illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

Moreover, the sinking policy also reiterates how Indonesia protects its sovereign rights at sea, signaling to illegal vessels that they should not even try to come to Indonesia.

Edhy’s intention to focus on increasing Indonesia’s fisheries exports by promoting cooperation with fisheries business communities is understandable, as it will increase the welfare of traditional fisheries communities. However, the ministry should maintain efforts in combating IUU fishing to ensure there are no setbacks in efforts and progress by the previous administration and to avoid effectively inviting many illegal foreign fishing vessels to Indonesian waters.

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Lecturer and researcher at the Center for Sustainable Ocean Policy at the School of Law, University of Indonesia, and fellow at the Center for Politics and Transnationalism at Policylab