Aru's waters vulnerable to illegal fishing

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

An official says illegal fishing has gotten out of control around the 187 islands of the Aru Island regency, Ambon, which comprises 6,325 square kilometers stretching from Wairalau island to Enu island.

Aru community leader Soleman Mantaibobir, who is a candidate for regent of the new regency, which was established in 2003, was discussing the problem on Saturday.

Soleman said the regency, known as pearl producer, was made up of 187 islands, of which only 89 were inhabited.

"Many of the islands are uninhabited and they have been neglected. These islands could contribute to the regency if they were properly managed, such as for tourism or fisheries," Soleman said.

Aru Island regency has three districts -- the Aru Islands district, which has 42 villages, the Aru Tengah district with 44 villages and the Aru Selatan district with 32 villages.

He said because the regency was made up of so many islands, transportation was a major problem.

Soleman asked the Navy and the police to increase their naval and air patrols to cut down on illegal fishing in Aru's waters.

"The waters around Aru are rich with fish, but these fish are quickly disappearing due to reckless fishing practices, both legal and illegal," he said.

He said that as a new regency, the Aru Island administration needed a great deal of funds to pay for development programs.

A naval commander in Ambon, First Admiral Bambang Supeno, told The Jakarta Post it was difficult for the Navy to increase its patrols because there were only five ships in the area. The ships operate in the waters of Ambon, Aru and Maluku Tenggara Barat.

The head of the Maluku provincial fisheries office, Romelus Far-Far, told the Post illegal fishing was widespread in the Arafura Sea, which is part of Aru Island regency waters but is under the authority of the central government.

He said his office did not have the manpower or equipment to deal with the problem of illegal fishing.

"We hope that coordination between naval patrols and police air patrols will help control illegal fishing around Aru," Romelus said.

According to data from the fisheries office, there are about 1,400 ships officially operating in the Arafura Sea. However, it is thought there are an equal number or more of unregistered ships operating in the area.

Romelus said that because the Arafura Sea was under the jurisdiction of the central government, many fishing boats operating in the sea received permits from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

He said many companies that received a permit to fish in the area copied the permit and doubled the number of boats they operated in area.

"By copying the permits, those ships can operate freely. So while we only have a record 1,400 ships, we are sure it there are many more boats than that operating," Romelus said.