TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Maritime Affairs and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti asserted that the use ofcantrang (trawl) to catch fish is only allowed in the Java Sea.
"It is only allowed in Pantura (north coast area of Java) because many other areas have disagreed," said the minister in Jakarta, Thursday, January 18.
Susi explained many considerations why cantrang should only be used in the Java Sea. One of them is because the fishermen that use cantrang are mostly from the Java north coast. "There are many other considerations that cannot be mentioned one by one," she said.
This decision, according to Susi, is a joint decision. She said that the revocation of the cantrang ban is temporary. "It was all resulted from the closed meetings with Jokowi, fishermen, and the ministry," she said.
Read: Minister Susi, Jokowi Hold Dialog with Fishermen on Cantrang
and: Breaking News: President Jokowi Revokes Ban on Cantrang
According to the minister, the government is currently preparing a transfer fishing tool for the settlement of the cantrang issue. "We will make a taskforce of fishing tool transfer," she said.
The task force will carry out the technical implementation of the transfer. This will be done seriously by the related parties, Susi said. She added that during the transfer period, fishermen with cantrang still can go to sea with the decision agreed upon.
"Not out of the Java Sea, Pantura," she asserted.
Furthermore, there should be no additional ship during the transfer period; all the existing ships had to be re-measured and registered, she said.
Earlier, Fishery Minister Susi accompanied President Jokowi to meet the fishermen at the Presidential Palace to discuss the ban on the use of cantrang for fishing. The meeting saw that Jokowi decided to revoke the ban initiated by Susi.
Minister Susi Pudjiastuti herself announced the revocation of cantrang ban for the fishermen who were protesting against the policy in front of the Palace.
SYAFIUL HADI
