Papua Overcomes Fish Theft, DFWI Asks To Focus On Arafuru Sea - Timor Strait

Illustration of fish caught by Indonesian fishermen. (Antaranews)

PAPUA - The Provincial Governments of Papua and West Papua are working on regulations to tackle illegal fishing. The plan was drawn up so that measurable fishing policies can be implemented.

The National Coordinator of Destructive Fishing Watch Indonesia (DFWI), Moh Abdi Suhufan, said the regulation was contained in the Regional Action Plan (RAD) for Countering Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF). He said, DFWI supports the realization of the rule.

"Supervision of fishing activities in the Fisheries Management Area/WPP 718 (Arafuru Sea-Timor Strait) requires regional roles and participation, especially in the zone below 12 miles," Abdi said in a written statement, Wednesday 9 March, quoted from Antara.

For this reason, he suggested that the province should develop a more comprehensive strategy because RAD is considered an instrument that can provide directions for preventing and prosecuting IUUF violations at the local level.

He reminded that the KKP's plan to implement measured arrests in WPP 718 requires the readiness to supervise marine and fishery resources through synergies between law enforcement agencies such as PSDKP, KKP, Bakamla, Polairud and the Indonesian Navy, and cooperation between the center and the regions.

Head of Fisheries Research Center, Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources Agency (BRSDM KP), Yayan Hikmayani added, WPP 718 is a productive fishing ground area as well as prone to IUUF.

"WPP 718 will be a pilot location for scalable fishing that requires monitoring readiness to prevent IUUF practices, especially the unreported aspect by Indonesian fishing vessels," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Control and Operation of the KKP Pung Nugroho said that to carry out supervision in WPP 718 his party had prepared three strategies, namely increasing the capacity and intensity of supervision, taking firm action against IUUF perpetrators, and empowering fishermen.

Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, invited the regional governments of islands and coastal areas who are members of the Association of Indonesian Archipelago and Coastal Regional Governments (Aspeksindo) to maintain the suitability of the use of marine space.

"KKP has compiled several laws and regulations that are used as a reference by business actors, one of which is the Approval for the Suitability of Marine Space Utilization Activities (PKKPRL). This of course requires the support and role of local governments to participate in guarding and supervising the suitability of the use of marine space," said Sakti Wahyu Trenggono when opening the Aspectsindo National Inauguration and Work Meeting in Jakarta, Thursday (24/2).

He stated that the issuance of the Approval for the Suitability of Marine Space Utilization Activities (PKKPRL) by the KKP was an effort to ensure that activities in the marine space did not threaten the sustainability of the surrounding ecosystem.

This, he said, was due to a number of challenges related to marine health including pollution of the marine environment, overfishing, increasing demand for renewable and non-renewable marine resources, to oil and gas exploration in the sea.

"These are some of the main challenges that have a negative impact on the marine environment. Therefore, it is important to create healthy, safe, resilient, and productive seas for the welfare of the nation with a blue economy development strategy that focuses on ecological and economic considerations. on activities that are settled in the marine space," he explained.

Minister Trenggono explained that the KKP had a breakthrough program to keep the sea healthy while at the same time answering the problem of overfishing in Indonesia, namely the implementation of a measured fishing policy.

Thus, he continued, the fishing mechanism in the State Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) in the future will be regulated by a quota system.