As many as 414 of 1,132 foreign-made fishing ships that allegedly violated shipping regulations have disappeared. The ships are believed to have fled following the announcement of the government’s plan to revoke the permits of foreign-made fishing vessels.
The coordinator of the paramilitary task force for the elimination of illegal fishing (Satgas 115), Mas Achmad Santosa, said the 414 ships were previously seen at nine ports across the country. “All the ships that fled will be tracked,” Mas Achmad said.
Meanwhile, another 718 foreign-made fishing vessels are still at 29 ports in the country. Of the total 1,132 ships, 699 have conducted serious offenses and have been blacklisted, 390 have been given the opportunity to reregister, and the other 43 ships are no longer allowed to reregister.
Through e-registration, the nationality of the ships would be removed because they had all been previously recorded as using an Indonesian flag. The task force believed some of the missing ships had returned to the countries where they were made, indicating that the owners or the operators of the ships were affiliated with foreign companies.
“The foreign-made ships that operate in Indonesia are part of foreign fishing companies’ networks. It is quite clear that the owners of the ships are affiliated with companies overseas,” Mas Achmad said.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, the commander of Satgas 115, recently issued Regulation No. 1/2016, which allows the task force to impose stern measures against foreign-made fishing vessels operating in the country.
With the instruction, the operation of foreign-made fishing vessels can be paralyzed through the removal of their wheels, magneto ignition devices, propellers, navigation tools and communication systems.
In addition, the task force is also allowed to carry out inspections and verification of the condition of ships at ports. This activity is needed to ensure that existing ships will not unexpectedly leave the country.
The chairman of the association of Indonesian traditional fishermen, Riza Damanik, said the government should speed up legal proceedings on the illegal ships in order to have legal certainty, for the operators and the government. With such a process, owners of legal ships would no longer have leeway to act against the law.
2013 – 2016 Kompas