TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bold initiatives by Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti to combat illegal fishing have sparked protests. Banning the practice of transshipment at sea and putting a stop to licenses for ex-foreign vessels have upset businessmen and fishermen alike. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that Susi's measures had left the fishing industry in Ambon and Bitung 'gasping for air'. But Susi retorted, "Cold storage facilities in Bitung had long been empty," when Tempo met her on Monday.

In his letter, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that some of your policies caused the fish-processing industry and fish exports to nosedive.

Cold storage facilities at Bitung have long been empty. There have been no activities for a long time. The one in Tual owned by Tomy Winata was also empty. There has been no record of fish exports from Ambon in the past 10 years. Why are they saying that exports have declined? Basmi Said, chairman of the Fish Processing Association, said that Bitung suffered economic losses of Rp3 trillion, but in front of Jusuf Kalla, he said it had been Rp8.7 trillion. I told Pak JK, "The data are incorrect and you've been duped." Pak JK said, "If they lie, so be it, but many (fish-processing plants) are idle." I replied, "It can't be, Pak. These data are important and you spoke in public. My reputation is now ruined."

Did you explain it to the Vice President?

I did at the meeting last Monday, but he had already commented loudly to the media. So, as a gesture of good governance, he should tell the newspapers that the data he cited as examples were wrong. That would show how he values me.

Do you plan to explain it again in your reply to his letter?

Yes, but I haven't finished it yet.

What message will you convey in the letter?

Why didn't he use the Central Statistics Bureau (BPS) data as reference? What I'm trying to do is ensure that the fish stock previously under the control of just a few hundred people can now be accessed by hundreds of thousands of people. The growth will then be good because not all the catches would be sent directly overseas. So if beef prices go up, we have alternatives. Before the illegal boats were regulated, the Maluku governor bragged about the 13 harbors in his province but they were always deserted. No vessels were seen docking there. So it's ridiculous for him to mention cold storage facilities in Maluku. A total of 16 fish processing plants there have been idle all this time because they are only used to fill the requirement of bringing in fishing boats.

There's no plan to evaluate your policy as requested by Jusuf Kalla?

What is there to evaluate? Ministerial Regulation No. 56/2014 on the licensing moratorium of ex-foreign vessels has already expired. Ministerial Regulation No. 57/2014 on transshipment is enforced around the world. Domestic shipments by local vessels are fine but there must be technical guidelines. Transshipment in Bitung will be evaluated. Bitung has been importing tuna and skipjack tuna for the last 20 years. Its tuna production has declined over the last 10 years because of overfishing. In fact, the fish population in Bitung has multiplied since I became minister. (*)

Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine