The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is following up on the shipwreck incident of a tanker that spills 4,595 metric tons of raw asphalt in the waters of Nias, North Sumatra.
Director General of Marine Resources and Fisheries Supervision Adin Nurawaluddin said the asphalt spill came from the MT AASHI ship crash since February 11, 2023.
"We have collected materials and information in the field, including examination and clarification to the responsible parties," he said in a press statement broadcast on the official website today, Monday, February 27.
Adin explained that the MT AASHI ship sank due to bad weather and then a leak occurred in the hull.
"Currently, the condition of the ship has now sunk 70 percent," he said.
According to Adin, monitoring and observations showed crude asphalt clots found in the waters of the island of Nias at a radius of approximately 5.6 nautical miles and the furthest 15.5 nautical miles to the south.
"KKP will immediately coordinate with ministries/agencies related to the handling of asphalt waste clean-ups. We have also appointed a team of experts to analyze environmental damage and calculate economic losses," he stressed.
Aidin informed that the representative owner of the MT AASHI ship had stated that he was ready to take responsibility and was willing to follow the stages taken by the government.
"Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 28 of 2020 concerning Procedures for Settlement of Disputes in Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands, there is a mechanism for providing compensation to affected communities. Later the team of experts will calculate this," he explained.
Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, had ordered his staff to ensure territorial waters through five strategic blue economy programs to realize a healthy and prosperous Indonesian sea.
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