Govt to set up fight against illegal trade at sea: Minister

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is taking the first step toward a concerted effort against illegal fishing, mining and logging activities at sea, with plans to improve regulations and maritime security.

Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the looting of natural resources amid lax security at sea must stop.

"Illegal mining, illegal logging and illegal fishing activities are all happening at sea," he told reporters after a meeting over offshore security conditions with ministers and top security officials at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas)

The move is part of a wider effort to fight crimes at sea, including smuggling activities and piracy. Most of them have taken advantage of Indonesia's poor security around its coasts.

In a country that is home to over 17,500 islands and where two thirds of its area is ocean, neither the Navy nor the police are seen as effectively guarding the coastal areas.

"... a host of crimes at sea such as the smuggling of arms and explosives into conflict zones, transnational crimes, piracy, the looting of natural resources like fish, sand, treasures, have shown significant growth," a Bappenas press statement said.

On illegal logging this trend is evident with the rapid rate with which forests in Kalimantan and Sumatra disappear to the point that Indonesia is said to be importing the logs that were smuggled out of the country.

Foreign miners have long complained about a surge in illegal mining activities. And every year illegal foreign fishermen make off with a catch worth some US$4 billion, according to government estimates.

Efforts to catch smugglers at sea have produced little result and as yet no charges have been made against any of the main players.

Part of the problem is the limited budget the Indonesian Military (TNI) receives from the state, amounting this year to just 30 percent of their expenditure. The National Police are also severely underfunded.

"Our means to pursue (smugglers) at sea are insufficient," Susilo said.

Illegal loggers and miners sell their loot almost always by sea or river transportation.

Such activities, according to Susilo, can be reduced if Indonesia improves coastal security and avoids conflicting trading regulations.

Susilo admitted that the government did not had the money to equip the Navy and police with all they needed to fight crimes at sea.

"Therefore we will have a minimum essential capacity team to determine what is needed, to see what the TNI and the police require at least," he said.

The government would also standardize trade regulations to plug legal loopholes and avoid confusion among law enforcers, he added. "It all starts with clear permits, what is allowed, what is not."

"We need to consolidate all the laws and regulations that exist so that we can produce a clear legal reference," he said, adding they had appointed the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights for this task.

Critics, however, also pointed to the military itself as contributing to the widespread looting of natural resources.

There is suspicion that the military is involved in some of the illegal businesses or at least gains a percentage of the profits in exchange for turning a blind eye.