Jakarta (ANTARA) - An official of the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries confirmed that the ministry would develop two 50-metre fisheries surveillance ships equipped with anti-illegal fishing technology that would enhance fisheries monitoring activities in Indonesia.

The ministry's Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Monitoring Rear Admiral Adin Nurawaluddin said that the two surveillance ships would be equipped with sophisticated equipment.

"The (ship) technology will be developed to enhance illegal fishing monitoring, this includes the fitting of a rope cutter that can cut the fishnet to disrupt illegal fishing practices," Nurawaluddin said in his statement received here on Sunday.

Some features that will be fitted on the ships are a 360° overview wheelhouse to allow the ship captain to monitor all sides around the ship, a water cannon, a sea rider that is able to accommodate up to five people, as well a fin stabiliser and interceptors that will make ship cruise more stable, he revealed.

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The director general said that the class II surveillance ship development will be carried out in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the ship model had been earlier tested at the agency's Hydrodynamic Technology Research Centre in Surabaya, East Java.

"The ship will be faster and more stable than earlier ships with the same class," Nurawaluddin remarked.

The two ships will be constructed by Batam-based PT Palindo Marine shipyard and are expected to be completed in 2023, he said.

The Police's Directorate of Corruption Crimes, the Attorney General Office, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Finance and Development Monitoring Agency (BPKP), the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP), and the Ministry of Industry will be involved to supervise the surveillance ship development, the director general noted.

"The provision of the two surveillance ships will be supervised (by relevant agencies) to ensure adherence to prevailing laws," Nurawaluddin said.

Earlier, Minister of Marine and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono affirmed the ministry's commitment to enhancing surveillance technology for marine resources monitoring.

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Translator: M Razi Rahman, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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