Fisheries Minister Says Thousands of Boats Operating Illegally
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8 May 2023 23:51 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Badung - Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said there are thousands of ships operating without permits in the country’s waters.
“It should be noted that around 6,000 ships operate with permits from the central [government], while in fact, there are 23,000 ships operating. So some do not have permits,” Trenggono said when met after the 4th PSMA Meeting in Bali on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Trenggono explained that the figure was known after the ministry turned on the satellite and conducted monitoring. Moreover, he added, it could reach no less than 50,000 ships if including those without regional permits.
The ministry, Trenggono pledged, would keep monitoring and fixing the issue. “They also have to take responsibility for how to maintain fishery populations,” Trenggono emphasized.
In his opening speech at the event, Trenggono also underlined that sustainable capture fisheries are one of the ministry's policies to protect the oceans from illegal, unreported, and unregulated or IUU fishing.
“Sustainable capture fisheries are based on quotas. According to a study by Komnaskajiskan [National Commission for the Study of Fish Resources], Indonesia's fishery population is 12 million, so 80 percent is allowed for capture," he mentioned.
According to him, IUU fishing is not only committed by foreign boats but also domestic ones, such as those who do not report fish caught according to regulations. "We are monitoring all of this through air surveillance, via satellite, all ships have VMS [Vessel Monitoring System] so we can monitor the ship's movements," he said.
Indonesia hosted the 4th Meeting of the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) in Bali from May 8-12, 2023, to discuss strategies against IUU fishing.
AMELIA RAHIMA SARI
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