TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry will work with the United Kingdom's Space Agency and UK satellite operator International Maritime Satellite (Inmarsat) Pic. to develop a satellite technology in an attempt to supervise and market fishery products.
"The cooperation related to the satellite is aimed at reducing illegal fishing and improving Indonesian fishermen's welfare," Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Ministry Secretary General Rifky Effendi Hardijanto said on Thursday, April 6, 2017.
The satellite project will be financed by the UK Space Agency and Inmarsat. The satellite will adopt a vessel monitoring system application called the WMS that has been operational since April 1, 2017.
Rifky said that the application will be used in a pilot project involving 200 fishing boats with a capacity greater than 30 GT and 200 non-VMS vessels with a capacity between 20 GT and 30 GT.
"The project will make Indonesia as the pioneer for controlled fisheries with a high level of traceability and profitability for local people," Rifky added.
Rifky explained that initial data gathered from the satellite will be used to conduct a raid against illegal fishing boats.
"The satellite transmits radar data that we can use for raids, instead of patrols," Rifky said.
UK Secretary of State for International trade Liam Fox added that the cooperation was aimed at ensuring quality, safe and free-of-illegal-fishing fishery products from Indonesia. In addition, Mr. Fox said that the cooperation will improve Indonesia's reputation at the European Commission Trade Group, in order to get an import duty cut.
GHOIDA RAHMAH
