Heavier sanctions sought for illegal fishing

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is working on a revision of the fisheries law that will emphasize stronger sanctions on illegal maritime activities, minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said on Friday.

"We badly need strong legal action towards foreign vessels breaching Indonesian water and stealing fish and other resources from us," Sarwono remarked.

"No wonder the average loss of fish stolen in Indonesian waters reaches US$2 million per year," he said after a ceremony to mark the opening of the 100-hectare Samudera Jakarta Ocean Fishing Port in Muara Baru, North Jakarta.

"We have recommended a revision towards the law in which the sanction or fine imposed will be calculated based on the vessel's current value," he said.

The current law only imposes a maximum Rp 25 million (US$2,630) fine towards ships convicted of violating the fisheries law, Sarwono added.

"The value of the rupiah is declining and therefore we have to revise the law, including the sanction and the fine," he said.

A total of 40 foreign fishing boats caught illegally fishing in Indonesian waters were seized last year, most are from Thailand, he said.

"We will also work with law enforcers so that together we can create an effective system to guard our sea, including those involving local residents in every region, as in the Samudera Jakarta fishing port," the minister added.

The Samudera Jakarta fishing port was officially opened by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday.

It took 20 years to complete the development of the port, which currently employs 20,000 workers and is used by some 5,000 seamen.

Also attending the ceremony were Japanese Ambassador Takao Kawakami and State Minister for Cooperatives and Small Medium Enterprise Zarkasih Nur.

Earlier on Thursday, Sarwono also revealed that his office, together with the French government, are working on three major areas of cooperation in an effort to boost fish production.

The three main priorities are a controlled captured fisheries program, an aquaculture development project and a value-added fisheries processing scheme.

"The country's fish stock is continuously declining due to various factors, such as illegal fishing," he said.

Last year's data shows that there were 6.1 million tons of potential fish while in 1997 it was around seven million tons.

"Therefore, we have to anticipate this through a controlled captured fisheries policy in which we have to reduce fish losses but at the same time increase revenue from fish exports and maintain its sustainable yield," Sarwono said in his address to the Indonesia-France seminar on maritime and fisheries.

France is planning to import fish from Indonesia through its two giant retailer companies, Carrefour and Intermarche, he added.

"The French government has long built ties with Indonesia and we can also adopt many effective systems in navigation and maritime affairs, such as a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)," the minister added.

Economic and Trade Councillor of the French Embassy here, Patrick Olivier Berron, said his country is confident that the cooperation in the marine and fisheries sector would prevail despite Indonesia's current political turbulence.

"All of the ugly and violent things that we see in the media about Indonesia is not all true. I believe that Indonesia will survive the transitional period toward a democratic country and this 'chaotic' political condition is part of the consequences of learning democracy. It happens anywhere around the world," Berron told The Jakarta Post.

"We will maintain our investment in Indonesia due to the fact that Indonesia has great potential. Not all politicians decide economics and basically we won't abandon a country which is in trouble," he said.

"So even if the cabinet changes.. we will continue our ongoing investment and projects," Berron added. (edt)