Govt urged to allow import of fishing boats

JAKARTA (JP): Fishing companies and fishermen called on the government yesterday to allow the importation of fishing vessels and pledged to become partners, a national workshop concluded.

Sudwikatmono, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Fishing Companies, told a press conference after the closing of a two-day joint workshop of the association and the Federation of Indonesian Fishermen that participants agreed it was time the government allowed the importation of fishing boats to boost productivity.

"This will be beneficial to all, especially the fishermen," he said.

Currently, local fishing companies use locally-built fishing boats, while foreign vessels can only be used on a contract basis. Foreign fishing vessels, on the other hand, are allowed to enter and fish in Indonesian waters after paying a fee.

Tuk Setyohadi, chairman of the federation, said that poor supervision has often allowed foreign parties to ship their catch directly to their respective countries without paying fees.

"We are presently trying to encourage local and foreign companies to establish joint ventures. This way, foreign vessels don't have to be rented but can be included as an asset of a company. It will also prevent foreign companies from evading their payment obligations," he said.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture's Directorate General of Fisheries, the number of Indonesian fishing vessels has increased by an average of 3.59 percent per annum over the last five years.

Last year, however, the number grew by only 1.86 percent to 396,730 units from 389,498 in 1993.

Indonesian waters -- which cover 5.8 million square kilometers -- have a sustainable fishing yield of 6.7 million tons per year, most of which has not been optimally tapped by local fishing companies or traditional fishermen.

Rahardi Ramelan, a deputy chief of the National Development Planning Board who had earlier addressed the workshop, acknowledged that imported fishing vessels, including second-hand ships, would help strengthen domestic fishing fleets.

He stressed that any imports should be carefully selected according to their size, fishing capacity, technology and price.

Yesterday's workshop also emphasized the need to establish mutual partnerships between fishing companies and fishermen.

According to the association, traditional fishermen in Indonesia, which accounts for more than 1.7 million people, are among the most underprivileged people in society. Most live below the poverty line.

Based on a poverty-eradication program conducted between 1991 and 1994, fishermen have an average monthly income of Rp 241,000 (US$107), the Directorate General of Fisheries reported last month.

Tuk told reporters yesterday that fishermen are often trapped in loans with moneylenders, who usually determine the price of the catch before the fishermen even set out to sea.

"If the fishermen sold their fish directly to cooperatives, for example, they could bargain for better prices," he pointed out.

He said that partnership programs are also expected to allow fishermen to sell their catch at reasonable prices to fishing companies, who could in turn add value to the commodity.(pwn)