Indonesia Suffers Rp 30 Trillion Loss from Illegal Fishing

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Director General for monitoring maritime and fishery resources at the Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry, Syahrin Abdurrahman, says that Indonesia suffers major losses each year due to illegal fishing. Based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he revealed that the losses reached Rp30 trillion (around US$ 3 billion). "It is quite difficult to monitor this crime," he told Tempo yesterday.

Syahrin said the South China Sea, Natuna waters, North Sulawesi Sea, Arafuru Sea and the Malacca Strait are prone to illegal fishing. He said that monitoring these areas was difficult due to the government’s limitations. There are only 45 percent out of the required 2,000 people needed to monitor these waters. In addition, the government lacks the necessary 85 units of long distance vessels. 

In order to overcome these limitations, Syahrin’s department has partnered up with other institutions such as the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), the Water Police (Sat Polair), and independent patrols coordinated by the Marine Security Coordinating Agency (Bakorkamla). 

In order to eradicate illegal fishing, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) will complete the audit on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing along with Malaysia’s state audit agency Jabatan Audit Negara (JAN) this month. 

ROSALINA | TIKA PRIMANDARI | ANGGA SUKMA WIJAYA