"Fishermen from North Sumatra were, so far, trapped and trespassed into the waters of the neighboring country, as they were unaware of the border," Nazli of HNSI Medan stated here on Monday.
Nazli emphasized that the government should offer a solution to the problems faced by North Sumatran fishermen to prevent repeated arrests by the Malaysian maritime authorities.
"They are arrested and sent to the jail in Penang, as they unknowingly trespassed the border," he pointed out.
He remarked that the fishermen, who were often arrested, came from the Langkat area, Deli Serding, Serdang Bedagai, and Tanjung Balai in search of fish in the waters of Malacca Strait.
In addition, their fishing boats were not equipped with a radar to locate the border markers between Indonesia and Malaysia.
"The government, through the coordinating minister for maritime affairs, can establish clear boundaries between Indonesia and Malaysia," he stated.
Nazli highlighted the need for boundary markers to prevent Indonesian fishermen from unknowingly committing violations in the middle of the sea.
"The Indonesian government also provides legal protection to fishermen, who catch fish in the Malacca Strait waters," the North Sumatra deputy chairperson of HNSI noted.
Reporting by Munawar Mandailing
Editing by Andi Abdussalam
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
