Four questioned over operation of trawlers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Tanjung Priok port police have questioned the
\nfour owners of 11 trawlers docked at Sunda Kelapa port in North
\nJakarta for allegedly operating the banned fishing boats.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang said on Friday
\nthat the four -- identified only as AK, M alias N, B alias H and
\nJT -- had been questioned since Tuesday but none of them was
\ndetained.<\/p>\n
The police have confiscated the vessels, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The operation of the boats, which are equipped with nets of
\nan inappropriate size, is feared to endanger the lives of small
\nfish,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Local fishermen through representatives of their association
\nhad actually warned them in June not to operate their trawlers.\"<\/p>\n
The association and the four people had signed an agreement in
\nwhich the latter pledged to halt operation of the trawlers.<\/p>\n
\"In practice, however, they just ignored the deal and kept
\noperating their boats,\" Aritonang said.<\/p>\n
He said the suspects were accused of violating Presidential
\nDecree No. 39\/1980 on instruments used for fishing in the
\ncountry's waters.<\/p>\n
\"It's clearly stated in the decree that ships can sail off on
\nthe country's waters as long as their instruments, including the
\nnets, weight of anchors and the type of engines, are adjusted
\nwith the environment.\"<\/p>\n
According to Aritonang, traditional fishermen had informally
\nlodged a complaint to the local police over the illegal operation
\nof the trawlers.<\/p>\n
\"The trawlers surely can be used to obtain more fish catches
\nthan traditional boats, but we're not just responding to the
\nfishermen's complaint as the case is that trawlers are
\nendangering the marine ecosystem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Aritonang was noncommittal when asked whether police would
\nsummon officials from the city's fishery agency who authorized
\nthe operation of the trawlers.<\/p>\n
\"First we have to handle the four suspects's cases, before
\ngoing deeper into the possibility of any alleged collusion
\nbetween the ship owners and government officials,\" he said. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-questioned-over-operation-of-trawlers-1447893297",
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