Minister Fuming as Foreign Boats Drive Off Local Fishermen
19 December 2014 11:26 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said she was irked upon hearing that foreign fishing boats were warding off local fishing boats in Morotai, North Maluku.
"I was angry when I got the report from the North Maluku Governor,” Susi said in her office on Thursday afternoon, December 18, 2014.
Susi said the action was unacceptable, adding that Indonesia is a country with maritime sovereignty. “That’s ironic,” she said.
Susi said intimidation against local fishermen were also frequent in other places, such as in the waters off Natuna Island, where foreign boats—including Thailand’s—were chasing away local fishermen’s small boats. “Can we still bear this?” she said.
Susi said the government would continue to secure the Indonesian waters from foreign disturbances. “We will put warships on standby, even just to protect two fishermen boats in Natuna,” Susi said, adding that it was the government’s duty to safeguard and defend the country.
TRI SUSANTO SETIAWAN