The Ministry Of Maritime Affairs And Fisheries Is Urged To Follow Up On The Finding Of 16 Thousand Ships Without Permit In Indonesia

Illustration: Three foreign trawlers will be sunk in Bengkalis waters, Riau, Wednesday (20/7/2022). (Between/Aswaddy Hamid)

JAKARTA - Maritime observer Institute Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) urges the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to immediately follow up on the findings of 16 thousand unauthorized vessels fishing in Indonesian waters.

DFW Indonesia researcher Muhamad Arifuddin said in a written statement in Jakarta on Sunday that the information submitted by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries regarding the 16 thousand ships not registered with the KKP must be proven to be true to immediately improve fisheries governance.

"Because it was conveyed directly by the Minister, the level of truth and accuracy of the information is very valid," said Arif as quoted by Antara.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono previously said the data on fishing vessels at the KKP was recorded at 6,000, while the data registered with the Ministry of Transportation was 22,000, or a difference of 16,000 vessels that were not registered with the KKP.

Therefore, continued Arifuddin, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries must immediately follow up on this information by coordinating with the Minister of Transportation to ensure and clarify.

"If there really is a difference in data, it must be searched for why, is there a difference in data format and presentation or factually there is a difference in numbers", said Arif. According to him, the Indonesian government should have one data on the number of fishing vessels carrying out fishing activities in Indonesian waters.

He said that the disclosure of the 16,000 ships' data could be carried out in the near future. The challenge of implementing measurable fishing is increasing with this data difference," said Arif.

Meanwhile, DFW Indonesia National Coordinator Moh Abdi Suhufan said one of the business principles, including fishing efforts, was certainty. "If the ship's data is uncertain and there is a dualism of information, then business actors will rethink investing," said Abdi.

Abdi said that if this was true, then the operation of 16,000 unlicensed ships so far had caused losses to the state and society.

"This means that so far the state has suffered losses from the loss of data on catch, production, PNBP and taxes from the operation of the 16,000 ships," said Abdi.

Abdi added that there was a need for fundamental improvement in fishery management.

"It is necessary to map the upstream-downstream chain and the point of sensitive problems that are inhibiting factors that have caused the capture fisheries business to become opaque," he said.