KKP and Australia Educate Merauke Fishermen to Prevent Cross-Border Violations

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) together with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) are strengthening legal education for fishermen in Merauke Regency, South Papua, to prevent cross-border fishing violations. Director General of Capture Fisheries at KKP, Lotharia Latif, stated that the Merauke region, which directly borders Australia, requires special attention to ensure fishermen understand fishing area boundaries and the legal risks of entering another country’s waters without permission. “We want to ensure fishermen understand fishing area boundaries, are aware of the legal risks of violations, and are encouraged to adopt legal, safe, and responsible fishing practices,” Latif said in an official statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. The activity, held from 25 to 27 June 2026, took place in Kumbe Village, Lampu Satu, and the Merah Putih Fishermen’s Village (KNMP) Samkai, Merauke, involving fishermen, students, local government officials, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and coastal communities. According to Latif, improving legal literacy is part of the capture fisheries modernisation programme, which focuses not only on increasing productivity and fleet development but also on building fishermen’s capacity to understand regulations, comply with fishing area boundaries, and implement responsible fishing practices. During the sessions, participants received materials on Indonesian and Australian maritime boundaries, the legal and safety risks of cross-border fishing, protection for Indonesian citizens facing legal proceedings abroad, and efforts to eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The move comes amid persistently high cases of fishing violations by Indonesian fishing vessels in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ), which extends from three to 200 nautical miles from the country’s coastline. According to a study titled “The Behavioral Drivers of Illegal Indonesian Small-Scale Transboundary Fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone” published in Maritime Studies in October 2025 using AFMA data, violations by Indonesian small-scale fishermen in the AFZ have remained a problem for decades. The number of Indonesian fishing vessels intercepted in the AFZ has also remained relatively high in recent years. Based on the study, Australian authorities intercepted 337 Indonesian vessels in the 2021/2022 fiscal year. The figure dropped to 125 vessels in 2022/2023, but rose again to 237 vessels in 2023/2024. Meanwhile, as of 7 January 2025, Australian authorities had intercepted 172 Indonesian vessels in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, although this data is still provisional. Latif expressed hope that early understanding of fishing boundaries and regulations would reduce cross-border violations while protecting Indonesian fishermen from legal risks at sea.