KKP Secures 5 Philippine-Malaysia Flagd Vessels Steal Fish In Sulawesi-Halo Malacca

PSDKP Director General Pung Nugroho Saksono, during a press conference on the arrest of 5 foreign vessels at the Bitung PSDKP Base, North Sulawesi, Wednesday (25/9/2024).

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has secured five units of Philippine-flagged fishing thieves who are in action in the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the Sulawesi region, and the Malacca Strait, Indonesia.

"The five ships have four Philippine and one Malaysian flags each," said Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision (PSDKP) Pung Nugroho Saksono, during a press conference on the arrest of KIA at the Bitung PSDKP Base, North Sulawesi, Wednesday, September 25, confiscated by Antara.

He explained that the arrest of the five KIAs was proof that the government, in this case the KKP, was present to maintain the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia and protect the marine and fisheries sector.

He explained that the arrests of four KIA Philippines began when the Orca 06 Supervisory Ship (KP) was conducting patrols in the country's fisheries management area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) 717 which then succeeded in stopping four foreign fishing vessels with the Philippine flag that were fishing without legal or illegal permits.

"We know the activities of foreign fishing thief vessels that are operating in the waters of the Pacific Ocean through information from the public, then the data is carried out by our analysis at the Control Center (Pusdal). Then it is forwarded to KP Orca 06 which is conducting patrols in the area," he said.

He also explained that the KIA set consisted of two sets of FB.LB.MV-02 and FB.LB.MV-04 lights vessels measuring 23 GT, then one FB.ST B 01 ship measuring 75 GT with a pure seine fishing gear and the last one FB.L-04 ship measuring 85.93 GT was a fishing vessel.

The arrest of one unit of the Philippine KIA operating ship using an unenvironmental fishing gear is the first time. Previously, in June 2024, we also managed to secure the same two types of ships. However, the fishing carriers were no longer at the location. The mode is that they go in and out of the border and install FADs on the border," he said.

Regarding the estimated loss, he continued, his party ensured that the ecological losses damaged by the fishing gear used by KIA were quite large, even greater than economic losses.

"If evaluated for the productivity of the four ships for one year amounting to Rp374 billion in state losses. ecological damage is actually what is bigger because they use prohibited fishing gear. For this reason, the state is present, the government, in this case, the KKP, is present at sea to ensure that illegal fishing actors can be handled and of course synergize with other law enforcement officials," he said.

On the same occasion, KP Orca 06 captain Eko Priyono explained the chronology of the arrests of the 4 KIA. The 3rd KIA was secured at the same time on Friday (20/9) at around 23:00 WITA then one FB.L-04 carrier was secured on Saturday, September 21 at 00:00 WITA.

"We secured three ships that were carrying out activities first. Then after a while we managed to secure a fish carrier that was standing by at another location. In total there were 33 crew members and the captain who all came from the Philippines," he said.

Eko also explained why his party was able to secure the illegal fishing theft activity. First, said Eko, there were three ships that they spread their clumps (fish houses) and were then assisted by two lampships explaining the lights to get fish to crowd into the clump.

After feeling a lot of fish, then it was the turn of the net ship with a depth of up to 100 meters in charge of fishing by turning the clump. After that, it was lifted and then the caught fish were accommodated in a transport ship with a capacity of 85 GT, with fish commodities caught, namely tuna, tuna, skipjack, "said Eko.

KP Orca 03 managed to secure an illegal foreign fishing boat from Malaysia using an environmentally unfriendly fishing gear, namely a trawl in the waters of the Malacca Strait at WPPNRI-571.

The captain of KP Orca 03 Muhammad Ma'ruf explained that on Monday (23/9) at 13:00 he managed to secure a ship measuring 18 GT named HJF 727 B. The ship was in a Nakhodai by a Malaysian foreign national (WNA) with the initials EWL (48) and three crew members who were also Malaysian foreigners.

"We detected a visually identified vessel, a fishing vessel suspected of carrying out fishing activities using a trawl fishing gear. Then we approached the ship and conducted an inspection," he said.

Muhammad Ma'ruf explained that the ship loaded with 100 kilograms of mixed fish, after being inspected by the ship, was a foreign fishing boat with the Malaysian flag without any valid licensing documents.

"Evidence was secured and KAI JHF 727 B was escorted to the Batam SDKP Supervision Base for further investigation," he said.

Based on data until September 25, 2024, the KKP managed to secure 133 fishing thieves vessels, including 21 KIA and 113 KII, this figure increased when compared to Semester I of 2023 which reached 75 ships, 9 KIA and 66 KII.

Previously, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono ensured that his party would continue to be committed and indiscriminately to combat illegal fishing practices with various existing policies and regulations.