The Natuna Regency, an archipelago of 272 islands in the South China Sea, is hot property – smack in the middle of one of the world’s busiest shipping and fishing routes.
Despite being closer to Malaysia and Singapore, the Natuna Islands are actually part of Indonesia and have become one of the biggest hotspots for illegal fishing in country.
In 2016, as many as 280 foreign vessels were discovered fishing illegally in just one area, at fishing Zone 711, just north of Natuna, according to a study of Radar Sat footage by the Infrastructure Development of Space and Oceanography project.
With illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing having depleted seafood stock in the South China Sea by up to 90% since the 1950s, fishers from across the region are being forced further from the shore to find catch, and closer to conflict with each other.
Read more:
https://www.rappler.com/environment/fishers-natuna-islands-indonesia-fending-off-domestic-international-threats