Indonesia Suspends Patrol With Australia After 3 Burned Fishing Boats

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry on Monday announced the cancellation of the joint patrol with the Australian Border Force (ABF) following the Australian authorities setting fire to three Indonesian fishing vessels that had allegedly violated maritime borders by illegally fished outside of legal territory. 

The Ministry explains that the future of the joint operation between the Indonesian and Australian maritime border authorities will continue after the ABF provides further details about the incident. The operation was initially scheduled to start this week.

“This is a response to the developments that had happened. THe Jawline-Arafura joint patrol is postponed,” wrote Rear Admiral Adin Nurawaluddin, Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision in a statement on November 8.

He asserted the importance of ABF providing official explanation regarding the incident to prevent inaccurate information from spreading, especially about the identities of the three burned fishing vessels and 13 others that were ousted from the country’s water border. 

The Rear Admiral said the directorate general has established communication with representatives of the Australian Border Force in Jakarta regarding the incident’s details that reportedly happened over the Rowley Shoals Marine Park in Western Australia.

CAESAR AKBAR