Fishermen from These 3 Countries in Southeast Asia Frequently Steal Fish in Indonesian Waters

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian ships are again involved in cases of illegal fishing or fish theft in Indonesian waters. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has succeeded in securing the ship which is suspected of using other ship documents to operate in Indonesian waters.

The KFB 1269 ship is indicated to have carried out illegal fishing activities in the Republic of Indonesia State Fisheries Management Area (WPPNRI) 517 Malacca Strait without valid licensing documents and using prohibited fishing gear.

According to the Acting Director General of Marine Resources and Fisheries Supervision (PSDKP) KKP, Pung Nugroho Saksono, the ship was also involved in a similar case in 2022 and was destroyed based on a court decision.

“It is true that the ship caught by the Hiu 03 team has the same hull number. It is suspected that the ship is actually an another ship which is indicated to be using the same permit or vessel license as the Malaysian ship that was seized in 2022," said Pung Nugroho Saksono in a statement in Jakarta, Friday, April 26, 2024.

Apart from Malaysian fishermen, it turns out that there are fishermen from other neighbouring countries who have also frequently stolen fish in Indonesian waters. From which countries are they from?

1. Vietnam

In 2021, Vietnamese ships were in the spotlight for illegal fishing activities in Indonesian waters, especially in the North Natuna region. Researcher from the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), Andreas Aditya, in an online press conference in Jakarta revealed that intensive fishing activity by Vietnamese vessels occurred starting in February 2021, increasing drastically in April 2021.

"The North Natuna Sea is a favorite and is being targeted by foreign vessels which are strongly suspected of carrying out illegal fishing because of its rich fish resources. Apart from that, its geographical location directly borders Vietnam and Malaysia, which causes the level of vulnerability to be high," he said.

Vietnamese ships are suspected of using fishing gear that is not environmentally friendly, such as trawls pulled by two ships in pairs, which can damage marine ecosystems including coral reefs and small fish. Even though these ships were escorted by monitoring or coast guard ships from Vietnam, they still dared to commit violations in Indonesian waters.

In the end, the government succeeded in arresting 82 foreign vessels suspected of carrying out illegal fishing in North Natuna waters, with five vessels being captured in April 2021 alone.

2. Thailand

Not just once, one case of fish theft by Thai fishermen occurred on Monday, February 9, 2015. The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at that time, Susi Pudjiastuti, threatened to sink Thai-flagged ships involved in illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

The ship KM Laut Natuna 28 alias KM Sudhita was arrested by the Monitoring Vessel on October 30 for stealing fish in the Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPP RI) 711, Natuna Sea.

The ship tricked officers by displaying an Indonesian flag, even though it came from Thailand. Apart from that, this ship also uses two different names and includes two different company names. They were caught carrying 100 kilograms of mixed fish when they were caught. The government's firm threat shows its commitment to cracking down on violations in Indonesian waters.

3. Philippines

A Philippine-flagged foreign fishing vessel was in the spotlight after the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) managed to confiscate it in May 2020. The vessel was arrested because it was involved in illegal fishing practices in the Republic of Indonesia State Fisheries Management Area (WPP-NRI).

The Director General of Marine Resources and Fisheries Supervision at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Tb Haeru Rahayu, confirmed the arrest of a ship named FBca CANTHER JHON in WPP-NRI 716 in the Sulawesi Sea.

The ship uses handline tuna fishing equipment and is operated by eight Filipino crew members.

"This is typical of ships that are very effective at catching tuna, their size is not too big with very mobile movements. We should not underestimate their small size because these ships are usually escorted by large storage ships waiting near the border," said the Director Fleet Monitoring and Operations at that time, Pung Nugroho Saksono.

PUTRI SAFIRA PITALOKA | AGUNG SEDAYU | MARTHA WARTA SILABAN | YOSEP SUPRAYOGI KORAN | DEWI RINA CAHYANI

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