TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has expressed her support for the action taken by Oswald Siahaan (OWA)-354 frigate that fired shots at and seized Chinese-flagged Gui Bei Yu boat for allegedly fishing illegally in Natuna Sea. According to Susi, foreign ships should never be left fishing illegally in the Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“Ocean resources in our EEZ is ours. Foreign boats may sail there, it is allowed. But, if they steal, it is forbidden,” Susi said at the Presidential Complex, Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
Last week, Oswald Siahaan (OWA)-354 frigate fired shots at and seized Gui Bei Yu boat for ignoring the warning sign. The crew members of the boat have allegedly fishing illegally since the species of fish found on board were identical with that of Indonesian waters.
The seizure was carried out in the presence of a Chinese coast guard vessel. But it did not intervene in the process of seizure that was initiated by a warning through a loud speaker, gun firing into the air and ended with shots fired which hit the stern of the boat.
In addition to the seizure and the shots fired, Susi has called on the public not to take into account the perpetrators’ country of orgin in the incident. According to her, the country of origin is irrelevant because any country that is cought fishing illegally will be arrested.
“Don’t focus on the fact the the boat is from China, or from Thailand, because all countries are the same. If the one conducting illegal fishing was from the United States, we would have arrested it, too,” she said.
ISTMAN MP
