Great! KKP Securs Malaysian-Flag Ship That Stealed Fish In Sulawesi Sea, Had A 1-Hour Chase

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has secured illegal fishing by Malaysian-flagged foreign fishing vessels in the waters of the Malacca Strait and Philippine-flagged vessels in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEEI) Sulawesi Sea.

"Our commitment is clear, there is no mercy for illegal fishing actors who try to steal in Indonesian waters," said Plt. Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision, Antam Novambar, in a press release in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Friday, June 25.

Antam said that an illegal foreign fishing vessel with the Malaysian flag KM. SLFA 5269 was apprehended by the Fishery Surveillance Ship (KP) Shark 03 while stealing fish in the Indonesian waters continental shelf area in the Malacca Strait on June 22, while the FB.ca YAYA - 3 ship with the Philippine flag was caught by KP. Orca 04 during illegal fishing in the ZEEI of the Sulawesi Sea on June 24.

"There was a chase for almost an hour against KM. SLFA 5269 who tried to escape, but our officers managed to secure it," said Antam.

Meanwhile, the Director of Fleet Monitoring and Operations, Pung Nugroho Saksono said that the arrest of KM. SLFA 5269 is quite challenging and dangerous.

He stated this because this time, the perpetrators of fishing theft tried to eliminate evidence when the police were pursuing them.

"They are clever. It is suspected that from the four nets they use as fishing gear, three of them were dropped into the sea when we were chasing them," he explained.

Pung explained that in addition to eliminating evidence, this action was deliberately carried out by them to stop the police's pursuit.

According to him, there are not a few cases where the propeller of the monitoring vessel was entangled by a net that was deliberately dropped by the perpetrators during the pursuit.

"Our officers have been trained in dealing with the various modus operandi of the perpetrators," said Ipunk.

Ipunk further explained that from KM. SLFA 5269 was successfully secured by four crew members consisting of two Malaysian citizens and two Indonesian citizens.

Meanwhile, from FB.ca Yaya-3 was secured by five crew members, all of whom were Filipino citizens.

"We are currently asking for information at the Batam and Bitung PSDKP Bases," he said.

With the arrest of the two illegal foreign vessels, KKP has arrested 119 vessels during 2021, consisting of 78 Indonesian fishing vessels violating the provisions and 41 foreign fishing vessels stealing fish, consisting of 12 Malaysian-flagged vessels, 6 Philippine-flagged vessels and 23 Vietnamese-flagged vessels. .