TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesia has suffered heavy losses due to fish theft, according to Minister of Fishery and Oceanography Dr Ir Rohmin Dahuri who was speaking during a meeting with Commission III at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday (19/2). We have suffered losses totaling US$2,136 million, said Rokhmin. The losses are from fishing in the ZEEI zone and unmonitored exports totaling US$1,200 million, and illegal fishing of as much as US$574 million. As reported by the FAO in 2001, the Minister explained, illegal fishing in Indonesia totals 1 million ton per year valued at between US$1 million and US$4 billion. The main problem as regards illegal fishing is that Indonesia does not have a good licensing system. In fact, about 70 percent of the total 7,000 ships under Indonesian flags that have license to catch fish in the ZEEI zone are owned by foreign countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the Peoples Republic of China. In order to deal with illegal fishing in Indonesia, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has strengthened the national fleet and has involved fishermen to support security officials in providing security. In addition, the government is to develop a Vessel Monitoring System and CDB information system. France is supporting this program by providing soft loans amounting to 9,380,000 Euros. Security officials often impound foreign ships stealing fish in Indonesian waters. Previously, officials confiscated 40 ships under the Thai flag and then gave the ships to fishermen in the province of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam. Up to November 2002, 198 cases of illegal fishing had been reported. (Priandono --- Tempo News Room)