TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti said that the government would not open opportunities for foreign investor to make investment in fisheries sector.

According to Susi, fisheries sector is only for Indonesian fishermen.

She said that decision was reached to address illegal fishing issue that has so far been a major problem.

"The measure is done so that foreigners cannot our maritime products,” she said.

Susi also believed that almost of former foreign ships do illegal fishing and from the operation of those foreign ships, the potential state financial losses from the practice of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) reaches US$30 billion per year.

Susi also said that the government would ban foreign cargo shops from transporting goods from one island to other islands as it is feared that fish transported by the ships will be brought abroad without passing official seaports.

Foreign investors, she said, may only make investment in the downstream sector.

"We’re going to provide investment in sectors such as in sea food processing, marketing, refinery of sea weeds," she said.

DEVY ERNIS