Fish Bombing In The Ocean Of Biak, Papua, Arrested By The KKP, The Evidence Is A Homemade Bomb

Illustration - KKP officers secure perpetrators of illegal fishing in the Malacca Strait. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has arrested two perpetrators of the fish bombing in Biak, Papua, in order to conserve national marine and fisheries resources.

"Our officers at the Biak PSDKP (Marine and Fisheries Resources Monitoring) Station managed to secure two perpetrators of destructive fishing using fish bombs on Friday (29/1/2021). The perpetrators were arrested in Insrom Village, Biak Kota District," said Plt. Director General of Supervision of Marine Resources and Fisheries Antam Novambar in a press release in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, February 1.

Antam said that the arrest of the perpetrators with the initials OB (59 years) and NA (49) was carried out by the Tiger Shark 04 Fisheries Supervisory Ship, which had carried out surveillance after obtaining public information.

During the arrest, he continued, a number of evidences were secured, such as homemade bombs, matches, boats, diving goggles, and bombed fish.

Antam ensures that the legal process will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the prevailing laws and regulations.

"The title of the case has been carried out and the Civil Servant Investigator (PPNS) of Fisheries at the Biak PSDKP Station will carry out the process of investigating this case. For a while, the perpetrator has been entrusted to the Biak Police," said Antam.

Antam also expressed his appreciation to the Biak community for working together to convey information related to destructive fishing activities to officials at the Directorate General of PSDKP.

Thanks to information from the public, he said, the authorities can then take measurable law enforcement steps.

"Appreciation and gratitude to the people who have participated actively in monitoring marine and fisheries resources," said Antam.

Meanwhile, Acting Director of Supervision of Marine Resources and Fisheries Management Matheus Eko Rudianto said that the challenge of eradicating this destructive fishery case is usually mostly local small fishermen, this practice is carried out clandestinely so that the authorities have to carry out surveillance and undercover in a very sometimes long.

Eko further explained that in addition to law enforcement, the KKP also continued to carry out preventive efforts by collaborating with various related parties including the Regional Government, related Law Enforcement Agencies such as the Police and the Navy and Non-Governmental Organizations.

This, he continued, is intended so that this approach to eradicating destructive fishing can be carried out comprehensively.

"Not only law enforcement, we also continue to make preventive efforts through awareness programs in locations prone to destructive fishing," said Eko.