JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is serious about protecting precious marine and fishery resources by properly handling illegal fishing practices across its territorial waters. The government through Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) is responsible to manage the fishery resources and marine ecosystem in a sustainable manner.
Accordingly, the ministry will this year free 34 percent of Indonesian waters from illegal fishing and activities damaging the country’s marine and fishery resources. Indonesia has a lot of fishing areas which are considered open access to illegal fishermen, and therefore the government is committed to managing the utilization of fish resources appropriately.
"Handling of illegal fishing is our main priority," ministry’s secretary general Gellwynn Jusuf said at a function to close KKP national coordination meeting here on Friday.
He said tight supervision would continue to be made at various locations which were prone to illegal fishing and other activities that damaged marine and fishery resources in the country. According to Gellwynn, the waters of Maluku and Papua provinces as well as South China Sea were prone to illegal fishing.
Meanwhile, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s Director General for Control of Marine Resources and Fisheries (PSDKP KKP) Syahrin Abdurahman said the target of 34 percent was an increase from 28 percent in 2010.
"Our target is that in 2014 we will have 85 percent of Indonesian waters free from illegal fishing and other marine resources damaging activities," Syahrin said.
He asserted that in an effort to reach the target, monitoring and information gathering should be stepped up while nabbing any fishing boat engaged in illegal fishing.
No wonder Naval spokesman Commodore Tri Prasodjo said here on Friday the Indonesia Navy had intercepted and caught two Vietnamese fishing boats while illegally operating in the Natuna waters in Riau Islands. According to him, the two intercepted fishing boats were actually of Vietnam, although they used Indonesian names KM Jaya Bahari-121 and KM Jaya Bahari-122.
The illegal fishing boats were nabbed by Indonesian warship KRI Imam Bonjol when on routine patrol in the waters. Tri Prasodjo said 100-ton KM Jaya Bahari 122 was skippered by Nguyen Van Huan and has a crew of 26, while 80-ton KM Jaya Bahari 121 was under the command of Le Van Khanh and has a crew of four.
After a search and inspection, it turned out that KM Jaya Bahari 122 had already caught more than one ton of fish in Indonesia’s ZEE, while KM Jaya Bahari 121 had a fish catch of one ton.
"The two and their fish loot had been escorted to the Tarempa naval base in Riau Islands for furher investigation," Tri said, adding that security operations at Indonesian waters would continue to be intensified.
Besides, a number of fishing boats were nabbed in the provinces of Maluku and Gorontalo and had been bestowed by the local government to the local fishermen group. Meanwhile, Syahrin Abdurahman said that t effectively monitor the Indonesian waters, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry at present has among others 24 fisheries supervision boats, 54 speed boats, and 30 PSDKP posts.
Another target to be reached this year is to increase the fish production by 12.26 million tons, to step up export value of fish product to US3.2 billion, and to increase the fish processing to 940 units across the country.
To increase the fish production, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministery will focus on improving the synergy between central and regional governments. Gellwynn Jusuf said the synergy between central and regional governments is part of an effort to reach various targets of marine and fisheries sector in 2011.
"Acceleration of marine-and-fishery-based economic growth needs a synergy between central and regional governments," Gellwynn said.
He explained that based on KKP national coordination meeting which lasted here from February 8-11, the synergy would be realized among others in the form of focused and integrated planning and budget allocation, as well as the synchronization between central and regional government programs. In addition, he said the synergy between regional elements’ work unit, coordinated by the Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda), should be also be stepped up.
The coordination by Bappeda, according to him, was as the implementation of increasing the role of governors and the joint circular of state minister for national development planning board/national development planning board chairman, finance minister, and home affairs minister. Gellwynn said the coordination was considered important, especially in creating conducive business climate in the regions by improving the infrastructure for the development of marine and fishery.
To enhance the synergy between central and regional governments, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has prepared a package of technologies that are ready to be disseminated. Meanwhile, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said the central and regional governments synergy should be done in three ways, namely synchronization purposes, synergy patterns of financing, and the consistency of regional governments in the implementation of central government policies.
"It is impossible to realize fishery production target without a synergy between central and regional governments," Fadel Muhammad said.
Fadel said the ministry has set its fishery production target at 12.26 million tons in 2011 and 22.39 million tons in 2014. According to him the production increase was expected to be followed by a rise in fish consumption. Indonesia’s fish consumption in late 2010 reached 30.47 kg per capita annually, an increase from 29.08 kg per capita in 2009, according to a press statement from the ministry.
source : kompas.com
