Sea Fence In Tangerang Potentially Disrupts 4,463 Fishermen

JAKARTA - The People's Coalition for Fishery Justice (KIARA) projects that there are 4,463 fishermen who are affected by the practice of sea privatization after the appearance of a mysterious sea fence in the waters of Tangerang, Banten.

KIARA Secretary General Susan Herawati stated that the sea fence stretches for 30.16 kilometers spread over 6 sub-districts in the Banten region.

"KIARA noted that there are 4,463 fishermen who live and take advantage of marine waters in these 6 sub-districts that will be affected by sea fencing in the waters of Tangerang Regency," Susan said in a written statement quoted on Monday, January 13.

Along with this, KIARA views that the sea fencing action is the initial action of the sea confiscation.

In fact, Susan said, the Banten Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service (DKP) had known about the existence of the sea fence since August 14, 2024.

Until September 4-5, 2024, the DKP Team together with the Special Police (Polsus) from the Directorate General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision (PSDKP) of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) are also said to have visited the location.

However, the government is considered not to immediately take firm action on the findings. The sealing of the sea fence was only carried out after the issue emerged to the public.

"So that from the period from August 2024 to January 2025, the KKP has been aware of the sea fencing. However, there were no serious and firm actions taken by the KKP until finally this issue spread to the public in early 2025.

"This proves that the KKP has neglected the occurrence of sea fencing in Tangerang Regency," he said.

The KKP has only sealed 30.16 kilometers of sea fencing activities in the waters of Tangerang Regency, Banten, on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

Based on a video upload on the official Instagram account of KKP @kkpgoid, Thursday, January 9, the officers of the Directorate General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision (PSDKP) of the KKP were seen standing on the sea fence by posting a red banner that reads the termination of the fasting activity.

"The termination of the Sea Restriction Activities without a permit," reads the text on the banner.

Meanwhile, the Special Staff of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries for Public Relations and Public Communications, Doni Ismanto, said that his party would investigate the case of sea fencing.

"In particular, for the case of sea fencing in Tangerang waters, Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono has ordered the Director General of PSDKP to immediately carry out in-depth control and investigations," Doni said in his official statement.

Doni assessed that sea space refreshment is an act of violating the rules, especially without permission. Because, it can interfere with public access, privatization, damage biodiversity and changes in the function of marine space.

"This sea fencing ban does not only apply in Indonesia, but also internationally. Because it is not in accordance with the practice of the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS 1982, which is an international agreement that regulates marine law," he said.