Govt's Task Force To Focus On Border Regions

Jakarta (Antara Bali) -  Maritime Affairs and Fisheries  Minister Susi Pudjastuti has stated that the task force meant to prevent illegal fishing will focus on the border regions.

"There are five regions which are very prone to illegal fishing," the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry's press release quoted Minister Susi Pudjastuti as saying here on Tuesday.    

The five regions are Malacca Strait, Natuna Sea or the South China Sea, the waters in the north of Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Arafuru Sea, and the sea in the south of Java or the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, on Monday (Nov.2), Indonesia`s task force meant to check Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing held its first coordinating meeting at the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry here.

The meeting was presided over by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti in her capacity as the Commander of the IUU Fishing task force.

The task force was established based on the presidential regulation No. 115 for the Year 2015, appointing Minister Pudjiastuti as the chief, and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy as the executive chairman.

The head of maritime security agency (Bakamla), the head of the Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) of the National Police and the general crime attorney are the task force's deputy executive chairmen.

The new body has the authority to coordinate the efforts among various institutions in the fight against illegal fishing activities that have inflicted losses worth Rp300 trillion annually on the state.

Indonesia has incurred material losses and environmental damage due to illegal fishing activities, mostly conducted by foreign fishing boats in its maritime territory.

Therefore, Indonesia has vowed to impose stringent sanctions against the perpetrators of such crimes to serve as a deterrent to other poachers.

This year alone, until mid-October, Indonesian authorities have sunk at least 91 foreign fishing ships caught poaching in Indonesian waters as the fight against illegal fishing in its maritime territory continues.(WDY)