Susi Pudjiastuti Asks Presidential Decree 44/2016 To Fight For The Sake Of Maintaining Indonesian Marine Sovereignty

Photo: Doc. Antara

JAKARTA - Former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti asked Presidential Regulation Number 44 of 2016 to be fought for again in order to maintain the sovereignty of marine resources in the country.

"I pray that what I am talking about today is imprinted and recorded for our children of the Indonesian nation so that Presidential Decree No. 44 of 2016 is fought for again," said Susi while giving an online key speech in a discussion entitled "Sea Capling The Fate of Diombang Fishermen's Decree on Measurable Fishing Policies" at the PP Muhammadiyah Office, Yogyakarta, quoted from Antara, Saturday, October 14.

According to Susi, the Presidential Decree, which closed Indonesia's capture fisheries for foreigners, needs to be re-implemented considering that fishing by foreign vessels has begun to reappear in Indonesian waters.

"Perpres No. 44 is officially signed by Pak Jokowi in the context of fishing only for Indonesian companies, Indonesian money, Indonesians, Indonesian-made ships," he said.

He said that in 2015 the turnover of local fishermen in Natuna, Riau Islands could reach no less than IDR 2 billion per day or IDR 1 trillion-IDR 4 trillion per year from the results of octopus catching on the beach using only bamboo and hooks.

"At that time we were guarding, foreign ships did not dare to go down because if my business is down, I will sink it," he said.

However, Susi suspects that because the Chinese and Vietnamese ships have recently started to reappear in Natuna waters, big profits are difficult to recover.

"Now looking for one kilogram of octopus, there is no more, Rp4 trillion was lost from Natuna," he said.

In the area where he lives in Pangandaran, West Java, Susi also admitted that it was difficult to find lobsters even though in the 2000s he could still get lobster stocks from fishermen of up to about two tons per day.

"Now imagine I asked to find a motorbike in Pangandaran because the seeds were taken. That is one example (essential) of sustainability that I emphasize," he said.

The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for the 2014-2019 period emphasized that Presidential Regulation Number 44 of 2016 is one of the efforts to translate President Joko Widodo's vision and mission to make the sea an asset for the future of a nation and place Indonesia as the world's maritime epicenter.

As a country with a coastal length of 97,000 kilometers or number two in the world, these visions and missions are very relevant and need to be realized to manage the wealth of Indonesian marine resources.

"If one kilometer (of the coastline) produces only Rp. 10 billion, then a year how many trillions have been, so (the value) is not small," he said.

To make it happen, Indonesia's maritime management sovereignty and sustainability are the main prerequisites stipulated in the Presidential Decree. "Without sovereignty, you can say what you want," he said.