Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Director General of Marine Resources and Fishery Control Asep Burhanuddin remarked that monitoring of marine resources and fisheries to improve the welfare of society.
"Monitoring of marine resources and fisheries was an integral part of the management of marine resources and fisheries," Director General of PSDKP, Asep Burhanuddin said here on Monday.
Asep delivered his statement in Reflection 2014 and Outlook 2015 "Monitoring of Marine Resources and Fisheries" in Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
It was aimed to improve adherence of marine and fisheries businesses to the provisions of the legislation.
Moreover, he noted, the operation of surveillance vessels has conducted an examination of 2,044 illegal fishing ships throughout 2014 in the waters of Indonesia.
"2,044 illegal fishing ships comprised of 2,028 Indonesian Fishing Vessels and 16 Foreign Fishing Vessels," Asep said.
According to Asep, of the number of vessels inspected were arrested for violating the provisions of a total of 39 vessels comprising of 16 Foreign Fishing Vessels and 23 Indonesian Fishing Vessels.
"The latest incident by the end of 2014, the arrest of the vessel MV HAI FA Panamanian-flagged which conducted fishing activities without providing operation feasibility letter," Asep noted.
In arresting illegal fishing vessels, the PSDKP deployed 27 surveillance vessels, consisting of 13 ships in the waters of western Indonesia and 14 ships in the waters of eastern Indonesia.
Earlier, The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry plans to strengthen its surveillance capacity to combat illegal fishing in Indonesian waters by building four new surveillance vessels in 2015, a top government official said.
"Under the Indonesian Fisheries Supervisory Ship System program, the ministry will build four new ships this year," Director General of Maritime Resources and Fisheries Supervision (PSDKP), Asep Burhanudin, said here Monday.
The four news ships, expected to become operational by the end of this year, would support 27 surveillance vessels currently operated by the ministry, he said.
"We are also doing our best to increase the number of operational days from 116 to 210, taking these eventually to 280," Burhanudin said.
President Joko Widodo has ordered all concerned parties in the country to take strongest possible action against foreign fishing boats poaching in Indonesian waters.
"I say, do not nab the foreign fishing boats poaching in Indonesian waters. If needed, sink them straightaway, but save their crew members first. If we do that to some 20 boats, others will think twice before setting out for illegal fishing in Indonesian waters," he had said last November.
Due to the illegal fishing activity that foreign vessels indulge in, Indonesia has been suffering significant material loss.
According to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Unitary Indonesian Traditional Fishermen, M. Rizal Damanik, the state's losses as a result of illegal fishing amount to Rp100 trillion each year. (WDY)
