Illegal fishing activities are carried out by foreign vessels, and they are rampant in Indonesia's waters.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is home to more than 17,500 islands and vast water bodies, which is why it is difficult to protect the country`s waters from illegal fishing.

Illegal fishing activities are carried out by foreign vessels, and they are rampant in Indonesia's waters. The country suffers material losses of around Rp30 trillion or approximately US$3.21 billion because of illegal fishing, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a UN body.

However, the People`s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA), an Indonesian NGO, pointed out that the actual losses are more than Rp50 trillion (US$5.2 billion).

"So far, we have not been able to stop illegal fishing," said Sharif C Sutardjo, marine resources minister, in Malang, East Java.

He said although efforts are being undertaken by various government bodies, illegal fishing has not been eradicated.

He added that safeguarding the country`s waters is not the responsibility of his office alone. In fact, it is also the responsibility of the defence forces and the customs office.

He admitted that the country does not have enough ships to control and patrol its seas, adding that there are only 21 ships.

The minister explained that illegal ships will be monitored closely. His office will receive surveillance equipment from France, which can detect illegal ships. Through this equipment, pictures of the ships can be obtained, and these will be sent to the FAO. The FAO will then reject the fish obtained from illegal fishing.

He said his office plans to use this monitoring equipment, which has become popular with ship owners, fishing businesses, fishing boat agents, fishing associations and other concerned parties.

Ships that carry out illegal fishing in the country`s waters will be reported to the FAO, he stated.

The FAO has recognised that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global threat to long-term sustainable fisheries, particularly in developing countries, according to MarcoPress, a South Atlantic News Agency.

During the adoption of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, the FAO's members agreed that port state measures are powerful and cost-effective tools to combat IUU fishing, and they embraced the forthcoming FAO Technical Consultation on Flag State Performance.

The FAO also supports the development of a global record of fishing vessels, an online database that will provide information on fishing activities and support vessels. It is yet another useful tool in the fight against IUU fishing.

The FAO`s International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing describes the term `IUU' in a comprehensive manner. The plan was endorsed by the FAO council in 2001.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the UN Secretary General also stated in their 1999 report that IUU fishing is one of the most severe problems that is affecting fisheries all over the world.

By hindering attempts to regulate an otherwise legitimate industry, IUU fishing puts at risk millions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs, as valuable fish resources are wantonly depleted below sustainable levels.

Considering the negative impact of illegal fishing activities, Indonesian authorities have investigated 3,782 cases of alleged illegal fishing activities in Indonesia's waters this year.

"A total of 3,782 boats were caught and 94 boats (37 Indonesian boats and 57 foreign boats) faced legal actions," said Syahrin Abdurrahman, Indonesia's maritime affairs and fisheries ministry`s director general.

Fishing ships from Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines are dominating Indonesia`s waters. Around 7,000 ships are operating in the country`s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to the data compiled by the marine ministry.

About 70 percent of foreign fishing ships enter Indonesia's waters to gain access to subsidised diesel fuel and to avoid crew fees. They also transport their catch to the ports of neighbouring countries.

"Illegal fishing has resulted in huge losses socially and economically," he said.

Abdurrahman stated that the ministry is committed to eradicating illegal fishing through improved monitoring and supervision.

"Therefore, the ministry plans to develop the necessary infrastructure facilities to tackle illegal fishing," he explained.

Currently, the ministry has 25 patrol boats, when the ideal number is 80.

The ministry`s Secretary General, Gellwynn Jusuf, said the ministry`s efforts to combat illegal fishing has reduced the state's losses by Rp912 billion. (*)

Reporter: Fardah
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012