Only Indonesia Allows Foreign Boats to Fish in its Water :Minister

Jakarta (Antara) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has said Indonesia is the only country in the world that allows foreign boats to fish in its waters. "Only in our country can foreign boats fish," she said here on Friday. She pointed out, as an example, that Australia has issued a policy to close 70 percent of its coral barrier reef area since 2009. Such a policy is important to preserve the nation's fish stocks, according to the minister. The minister further said she had invited six ambassadors to discuss issues on poaching. She noted that she regretted that 30-GT boats paid only Rp60 to Rp70 million per year. "There is something wrong. Many boats in Indonesia are not registered. There are also registered boats, though their products are not registered," she said. Pudjiastuti added that she has encouraged transparency in fishing boat registrations. She also complained that a number of foreign fishing boats unload fish they caught to other boats in the middle of the sea or directly to countries such as Thailand and China. Earlier, the new minister expressed her determination to eliminate illegal fishing from Indonesian waters. According to the minister, the country has suffered a significant loss, especially in the collection of tax revenues, due to illegal fishing. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Unitary Indonesian Traditional Fishermen (KNTI) M. Rizal Damanik recently said of all losses caused by illegal fishing in the world, 30 percent came from losses in Indonesia. "So, according to the report of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, illegal fishing has caused losses of US$23 billion. And about 30 percent of illegal fishing in the world occurred in Indonesia," Rizal Damanik added. (*)