Residents Were Accompanied, North Bengkulu Police Finally Arrested 4 Fishermen Using Trawl

Traditional fishermen closed road access in Pasar Palik Village, Air Napal District, North Bengkulu Regency, Friday (14/4/2023). ANTARA)

BENGKULU - The North Bengkulu Resort Police (Polres) arrested four fishermen who caught fish using a trawl below a two-mile radius in the North Bengkulu sea area, Bengkulu Province.

North Bengkulu Police Chief AKBP Andy Pramudya Wardana said the four detained trawler fishermen, namely IR (43), JO (35), RA (50) and MM (47), were all residents of Padang Serai Village, Bengkulu City.

"We received information that there were fishermen using trawlers operating under two nautical miles, we arrested the fisherman," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, April 14.

During the arrest of fishermen using the trawl, said Andy, traditional fishermen also closed roads in Pasar Palik Village, Air Napal District, North Bengkulu Regency to avoid conflict.

Andy emphasized that his party will give punishment to fishermen who use the trawler in accordance with applicable regulations.

"We will also cooperate with traditional fishermen, if trawlers violate what has been determined," he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Bengkulu Traditional Fishermen Association (ANTB) North Bengkulu Rusman said that apart from arresting four trawler fishermen, traditional fishermen also confiscated evidence in the form of trawler ships and fishing gear.

"This is a form of protest against trawlers that are still operating to catch fish under a two-mile radius," he said.

According to him, conflicts between traditional fishermen and trawler fishermen have often occurred for more than 25 years and conflicts have repeated today, when traditional fishermen found trawler fishermen carrying out fishing activities in prohibited areas, which is a radius of 2 miles from the coast.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Bengkulu Province Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) Jais Effendi explained that the existence of trawler fishermen caused the catch of traditional fishermen to decrease.

"According to fishermen from Air Palik Village, North Bengkulu, there are trawler fishing boats that make fishing in their area, which resulted in no arrest of them as traditional fishermen due to the trawling ship operation," he said.