TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Maritime and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said that in 10 years from 2003 to 2013, around 50 percent fishermen were gone, from 1.6 fishermen to only 800 fishermen.
"Such disapperance is due to the fact that the profession can no longer support livelihood. This is the case because thousands of foreign ships snatch our maritime resources and it causes significant depletion," Susi explained when she gave a speech in front of hundreds of graduates of Malang Muhammadiyah University (UMM), in West Java on Saturday (25/02).
She added that in 2004 the government made a mistake in issuing foreign ship license stipulating that foreign ships are permitted into our maritime area under a condition that they have to set up fish-processing centers in Indonesia.
In reality such a condition is never met. Even worse, there are thousands of illegal foreign fishermen.
In addition to the diminishing number of the fishermen, 150 exporters lost their businesses. They closed their business and had millions of dollars of loss.
It is time to turn the tables. Fishing has to be 100 percent controlled by local fishermen, and foreign investors can handle processing unit up to 60 percent.
"Because of the policy to revoke the permits of these foreign ships, fihermen trade-off value should be better or improve," she said.
ENDANG SUKARELAWATI | ANTARA
