Anticipating COVID-19, KKP Performs Health Tests For 68 Foreign Crew Who Thieves Fish

Illegal fishing by 68 foreigners from Vietnam in Natuna Waters. (Photo: KKP)

JAKARTA - The Marine and Fisheries Resources Monitoring Team (PSDKP) of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) conducted health checks on 68 Vietnamese nationals who were arrested for illegal fishing in North Natuna Waters.

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo said this health check was an effort to anticipate the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19. Given, he said, currently Indonesia has been reported positive for COVID-19.

All these foreign citizens (WNA) are currently at the Batam PSDKP office. "There is a direct examination of the health quarantine carried out in Batam," said Edhy in a written statement received by VOI in Jakarta, Wednesday, March 4.

Edhy wearing a mask, met the crew (ABK). The examination is carried out to detect the body temperature of the crew members. Not only that, Edhy also reviewed five ships over 30 GT used by Vietnamese crew to steal fish in Indonesia's EEZ in the North Natuna region.

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Edhy Prabowo. (Photo: KKP)

The five vessels captured were KG 94376 TS, PAF 4837, KG 94654 TS, PAF 4696 and KG 95786 TS. The ship was found PSDKP at position 01'43.611 'North Latitude and 104'48.079' East Longitude (Southwest Island of Tarempa). This area is the waters of Indonesia's EEZ, which borders the overlapping claimed area of Indonesia-Malaysia.

The modus operandi used by these five foreign fishing vessels is to pretend to be Malaysian foreign fishing vessels. This is proven by the fact, the five ships did not fly the national flag of the ship and used the C2 code on the hull of the ship. This code is commonly used by Malaysian fishing vessels operating in the EEZ region.

The government, said Edhy, did not neglect at all in addressing the spread of COVID-19 which has infected more than 90 thousand people in 76 countries, including Indonesia. Coordination between agencies and ministries continues to anticipate the entry of the virus into Indonesia.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries through the Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products (BKIPM), said Edhy, has carried out strict supervision of fish from abroad, especially from China entering Indonesia.

"The government has been on standby from the start, since the case in Wuhan. The ministry has moved, including the KKP, with the ability in its field to encourage the Minister of Health to back up everything they need and this has continued until now," he said.

The government's anticipation, continued Edhy, made Indonesia a country where no citizens were infected. Although in the end there were two residents who were positive for COVID-19. Edhy said the government would immediately carry out handling, in an effort to cure and anticipate an increase in the number of victims exposed to the virus.

"This condition should make us more compact in resolving it. We look for what is weak and we continue to strengthen it. Do not look as if all are weak, because anticipation has been done from the start," he explained.

On the same occasion, the Head of the Batam PSDKP Base, Salman Mokoginta said that, after obtaining information on the arrival of a Vietnamese national illegal fishing boat crew caught in the North Natuna Sea, he immediately coordinated with the Health Quarantine so that a health check process was carried out before further processing. .

"We also play an active role to prevent the spread of the corona virus and ask Health Quarantine friends to check first. In addition to anticipating the spread, we also want to ensure that things like this will not interfere with the legal process that will run later," said Salman.