Fishy deregulation

We would like to proclaim proudly that our country, with more than 17,000 islands covering 1.9 million square meters of land, is the largest archipelagic nation-state in the world.

Our maritime sector, covering three million square meters of territorial waters and another three million square meters of exclusive economic zone, holds immense resources. Our seawaters allow for a sustainable catch of 6.7 million tons a year. The bitter fact, however, is that the development of our fishery resources has remained virtually neglected. Our fishing fleet only includes 357 boats, most of which have a small tonnage of 50 gross tons.

While the newly installed National Maritime Council needs time to significantly improve marine-resource development, our fish resources will continue to be plundered by foreign fishing companies because domestic fishing firms are sinking in a sea of red tape.

The government had until last July prohibited domestic companies from importing fishing boats in an overzealous bid to spur the growth of local shipbuilding. However, because domestic shipbuilders could not meet the rising demand and the boats they made were much costlier than imports, the government moved last July to allow imports of up to 1,000 new or used fishing vessels within four years.

But fishing companies have not been granted licenses to import boats as their applications are still being assessed by the fishery directorate general. In the meantime, foreign fishing ships continue to poach the country's sea resources at the risk of being impounded by Navy patrols.

The National Maritime Council's deputy chairman, Soesilo Soedarman, said last week that 200 foreign fishing boats had been apprehended for illegally fishing in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles out to sea, over the last two months alone. About 270 impounded foreign fishing boats are currently detained at various ports and the government has hinted that these boats may be given to fishing cooperatives.

While the fishery directorate general is still struggling with the delicate question of how to distribute the import quota of fishing boats among the applicants -- several of them are politically well-connected -- the agriculture minister issued another ruling which might further delay the procurement of badly needed foreign fishing boats.

The new ruling, announced last week, imposes so many conditions on companies wanting to lease foreign fishing vessels that it would take more than one year to process all the requirements. The regulation stipulates that Indonesian fishing companies intending to lease foreign-flag fishing boats for operation in the country's exclusive economic zone must have a foreign fishing-ship operating license which is effective for three years. The leased foreign fishing boats must also have fishing licenses. The fishing companies must own at least two Indonesian fishing boats of a minimum 30 gross ton capacity, an ice factory with a minimum daily capacity of 10 tons, a fish cannery, a fishing-boat dockyard and a 100-ton capacity cold storage. On top of this, a fishing company is only allowed to lease one foreign fishing ship for every three Indonesian boats it owns or operates.

As if these requirements are not frustrating enough for fishing companies, the ruling imposes other restrictive provisions regarding fishing areas, including the types of fishing equipment that can be used, ship capacity, crews, marketing and fishing royalties.

We realize it is imperative to protect our marine resources from reckless foreign exploitation and from environmental damage. We are also fully aware that fishing operations cannot be separated from the interests of national security and defense. But should we allow these interests to force us into issuing regulations that prevent us from diversifying our food sources and optimizing our marine resources for the greatest benefit of the people?