There is no way that traditional or small-scale fishermen's boats will catch fish beyond what their need since their boat weighs no more than 10 GT and they also use eco-friendly fishery equipmentJakarta (ANTARA) - The policy to restrict fishery should be imposed only on the large-scale fishery industry since small fishermen only caught according to their needs, according to the People's Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara).
In a press release here on Thursday, Secretary General of Kiara Susan Herawati opined that the large-scale fishery industry often caught large quantities of fish for trade.
Herawati noted that this profit-making motive will encourage fishing to the extent of overexploitation.
This is different in comparison to traditional fishermen or small-scale fishermen, she stated. Despite the fact that they constitute a major chunk of the nation's fishermen, their fishery operations was only at the subsistence level and surely in accordance with their needs, she remarked.
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"There is no way that traditional or small-scale fishermen's boats will catch fish beyond what their need since their boat weighs no more than 10 GT and they also use eco-friendly fishery equipment," Herawati pointed out.
She questioned the government's plan to restrict fishery in Indonesia using the quota system in 2022 that is still currently being deliberated.
She was also sceptical of the way the fishery policy was headed while emphasizing that it promoted injustice and pushed traditional or small-scale fishermen to compete with big boats in Indonesia's waters.
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The policy to restrict fishery encouraged by the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) will encourage large-scale exploitation of fish resources while also benefiting the large-scale fishery industry since it has bigger boats, equipment, and funding, she noted.
"Meanwhile, traditional and or small-scale fishermen will stand to get nothing from this policy since fishery resources will dwindle," Herawati opined.
The implementation of a fishery restriction policy in future will give rise to a conflict between traditional or small-scale fishermen and various parties, who have a stake in Indonesia's fishery resources, she cautioned.
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Translator: M Razi Rahman, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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