Global Collaboration Needed To Fight Illegal Fishing: President Jokowi

Yogyakarta (Antara Bali)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that a global collaboration is needed to fight illegal fishing, which has been transformed into a serious and organized transnational crime.

Illegal fishing was also related to other crimes, such as smuggling drugs and other contraband, as well as human smuggling, illegal migrant workers, and violations against nature, the president said during his opening remarks at the Second International Symposium on Fisheries Crime, here, Monday.

The Head of State also said that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing could threaten the survival of the Earth if it is allowed to expand.

For IUU fishing does not only affect the fishery industry, but also damages the environment, Jokowi said during the Second FishCRIME Symposium.

Seas are income sources for 520 million people across the world, providing food for 2.6 billion people.

"Illegal fishing practices have reduced the world's fish stock by 90.1 percent," the President said.

Indonesia's experiences are proof that IUU fishing problems cannot be ignored.

According to data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2014, Indonesia is in the second rankings of the world's largest sea fish producers, with a total catch amounting to six million tons, or 6.8 percent of the world's total sea fish production.

"We believe that the figure is still below Indonesia's maximum potential, due to IUU fishing practices," Jokowi stated.

Indonesia suffers economic losses of US$20 billion annually due to illegal fishing, which also threatened the existence of 65 percent of Indonesian coral reefs.

Indonesian authorities have detained and sunk 236 fishing boats for illegal fishing in its waters.

"And it has shown the results. The fish exploitation rate in Indonesia has dropped between 30 and 35 percent, while its national fish stock increased from 7.3 million tons in 2013 to 9.9 million tons in 2015," Jokowi said.

Further, during the January-June 2016 period, the country's fish exports surged by 7.34 percent, compared to that during the same period last year.

"But, we are not satisfied, and want to learn further from the successes of others countries in the fight against IUU fishing," Jokowi said. (WDY)