Kiara Highlights Legalisation of Nets Similar to Cantrang, Fishermen's Catch Declines
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The non-governmental organisation Coalition of People for Fisheries Justice (Kiara) has highlighted the use of purse seine nets resembling cantrang, which has resulted in a decline in fishermen’s catches.
Kiara’s General Secretary, Susan Herawati, stated that the government legalised this type of net through Ministerial Regulation on Marine Affairs and Fisheries (PermenKP) No. 36 of 2023.
“The government has legalised purse seine nets that closely resemble cantrang in form,” Susan said in a written statement on Tuesday (7/4/2026).
This policy has increased the modus operandi of using cantrang disguised as purse seine nets.
Kiara has received reports from coastal communities that banned fishing gear is being used in the waters of Banten, West Java, and Central Java.
“Traditional fishermen are experiencing a decline in catches due to the operation of cantrang, trawl, and tiger seine nets. This proves the weakness of supervision by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)!” Susan stated.
Not only that, many fishermen in Aceh, North Sumatra, and Central Java are facing activities from industrial fishermen.
They operate using small vessels under 5 GT but use banned destructive fishing gear in areas less than 4 miles from shore.
Furthermore, in Maluku, small and traditional fishermen are competing for fishing grounds with the industrial fisheries sector that uses banned fishing gear.
“As a result, sustainable fishing practices that have long been carried out by communities are being destroyed, in line with the decline in fishery resources in those areas,” Susan explained.
Furthermore, Kiara calls on the government to review all policies and legal products deemed capable of damaging mangrove ecosystems and seizing the living space of fishermen.
Among those policies is the expansion of marine aquaculture that cannot be separated from the blue food programme through blue economy policies.
“One concrete form is to review all policies and regulations that have the potential to degrade mangroves and seize the space of coastal communities, such as for the expansion of marine aquaculture,” Susan stated.