Jakarta, Dec. 5 (ANTARA) - Fishing theft is a crime that is closely associated with various trans national organized crimes, such as drug smuggling, human smuggling and trafficking, economic crimes, and border's violation so that they should be fought as well as getting more serious attention from the world community. As told by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sharif C. Sutardjo when opening a forum titled Expert Consulatation on Effective Surveillance and Law Enforcement to Combat Illegal, Unreported and unregulated (IUU) Fishing, in Jakarta, today (Dec. 5). Sharif stated that during this time IUU fishing is not being a concern of many parties in the world. "Lack of information, coordination and integration with many parties to make IUU Fishing crime as an ordinary crime, Though IUU practices, has proven in involving multiple parties as well as much capital ", he said.

Furthermore, Sharif said that the chain of players of IUU Fishing and marketing of loot neatly organized is kind of an organized crime characteristic. Through this forum, showing that Indonesia respond to the serious crime of IUU Fishing by conducting various initiatives to discuss the terms of the fishing industry particularly IUU Fishing with Trans National Organized Crime. "So it is very relevant to make IUU Fishing included as part of the handling of Trans National Organized Crime," said Sharif. For Indonesia, in addition to threatening food resilience in the country, the practice of IUU fishing has economic, social, and environmental impacts as well as potentially threaten the achievement of the development vision of marine and fisheries. The efforts in combat and fight the IUU fishing is an initiative of Indonesia for the importance of maintaining the sustainability of fish supply in an effort to create food resilience not only for Indonesia, but also for the ASEAN community, and to meet the food needs of the world. As known before, the source of world food has produced from three sources, which are agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries, these are very significant roles to support the system of world food resilience. The growth rate of rapid world population currently which is reached 7 billion people, is directly increasing demand of food for world community, including the need of protein derived from fish and fishery products.

For further information, please contact Dr. Yulistyo Mudho, M.Sc, Head of Data, Statistics and Information Center, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (HP. 0811836967)

Supporting data :
The number of participants in the EC activities reached for about 75 people including 11 representatives from ASEAN countries and the other countries such as Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Philiphines, including Norway. In addition, several representatives from regional and international marine and fisheries organizations are also attended such as FAO, SEAFDEC, RPOA, EU and representatives of organizations related to the monitoring of fisheries and marine resources of law enforcement at home and abroad such as NOAA-IMCS Network, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), Border Protection Command (BPC), the National Security Marine Coordination TBAKORKAMLA), Navy, Directorate General of Customs Polri, Attorney and The Supreme Court. This activity is also supported by experts from relevant Ministries, such as the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and non governmental institutions activists sustainable fisheries management such as Non-governmental organizations and Association of national fisheries.

Reporter: Oktavia
Editor: PR Wire
Copyright © ANTARA 2011