2 Riau Islands Fishermen Detained Malaysian Authority, Head Of Maritime Affairs And Fisheries Intens Sub-Department For Coordination

Head of the Riau Islands Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service Tengku Said Arif Fadillah (ANTARA/Nikolas Panama)

KEPRI - Head of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service of Riau Islands Province (DKP Kepri), Tengku Said Arif Fadillah stated, two fishermen from the region are still being held in Malaysia. "The two fishermen were detained in Tanjung Manis waters, Serawak, East Malaysia about a week ago," said Arif in Tanjungpinang, Antara, Thursday, September 15. Regarding the case, Arif explained that the Riau Islands Provincial Government only two days ago received information that the fishermen on behalf of Kasnadi and Johan were detained by Malaysian Fisheries Patrol Ship officers. The Riau Islands Provincial Government seeks that the Malaysian Government free the traditional fishermen. The Riau Islands Provincial Government has also sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Sarawak, Malaysia to help free the two fishermen. "Since this morning I have been in constant communication with the Indonesian Consulate General in Sarawak," he said. He is optimistic that the Malaysian government will release the two fishermen because the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and the country is going well. "We believe our fishermen did not intentionally," he said. Based on the information report received from the Head of the Riau Islands DKP Branch in Natuna, Kasnadi and Johan went to sea using a ship with a capacity of 3 GT on September 6, 2022. Kasnadi and Johan are not residents of Natuna, but live in the Anambas Islands Regency. However, they are active in Natuna Waters, and have relatives in Natuna. The family of the fisherman on behalf of Juliadi reported to the Riau Islands DKP that the ship used by Kasnadi and Johan was swept away on September 9, 2022 until it entered the waters of Tanjung Manis, Serawak, East Malaysia. The report was submitted to the Riau Islands DKP two days ago. Juliadi learned that Kasnadi and Johan were arrested by officers in Malaysia based on news in a number of online media. He explained that the knowledge of traditional fishermen towards national boundaries between Indonesia and Malaysia was also limited. They probably did not realize at that time that they were in Malaysian waters. "Not to mention the problem of high sea waves during the transition from the south wind season to the north wind season, which caused the ships they used to sway to enter Malaysian waters," he said. Arif said that it was impossible for the fishermen to deliberately catch fish in Malaysian waters, because there were a lot of fish reserves in Natuna Waters. "Foreign fishermen are often arrested for stealing fish in Natuna Waters. So I think the fishermen were adrift so they entered Malaysian waters," he said. Chairman of Commission II of the Riau Islands DPRD Wahyu Wahyudin asked the central government and the Indonesian Consulate General in Sarawak to coordinate with the Malaysian Government so that the two fishermen were released. "I hope Kasnadi and Johan are released soon and can gather with their families," he said. According to him, the arrest of two fishermen from Anambas who are active in East Malaysia Waters is a momentum for the government to increase the knowledge of traditional fishermen so as not to enter the waters of neighboring countries during their activities. "This is also a momentum to increase supervision in the Natuna Waters, lest our fishermen 'continue' due to the activities of foreign fishermen and local fishermen who use trawling," he said.