Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Seizes MV Silver Island for Illegal Napoleon Wrasse Transport
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has detained the foreign vessel MV Silver Island, which was found transporting 1.2 tonnes of Napoleon Wrasse illegally abroad. The vessel was intercepted by the Surveillance Ship (KP) Orca 04, under the control of the Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance (PSDKP) KKP, in the Celebes Sea while en route to Hong Kong on Friday (29/05), according to the Director General of PSDKP, Pung Nugroho Saksono (Ipunk), at the Bitung PSDKP Base on Wednesday.
Ipunk explained that the MV Silver Island, carrying live fish, departed from Sumenep, East Java, on 26 May 2026, destined for Hong Kong. Upon inspection, a large quantity of Napoleon Wrasse was discovered without the necessary permits or quotas. Ipunk further noted strong indications that the perpetrators attempted to deceive fisheries inspectors by hiding the Napoleon Wrasse in a concealed area of the ship that was difficult for officers to access. “The Napoleon Wrasse was placed in an unusual part of the ship’s hold, specifically in a section hard for inspectors to reach. It even featured a secret door accessible only through the ship’s engine spare parts warehouse,” Ipunk explained.
The potential state losses saved by this operation are estimated at approximately Rp16 billion, calculated based on the volume of the Napoleon Wrasse cargo and the potential loss of state revenue, including both tax and non-tax income that should have been paid. Due to this illegal activity, the perpetrators are suspected of violating Article 88 in conjunction with Article 16 of Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, facing a maximum prison sentence of six years and a fine of up to Rp1,500,000,000. “We will proceed with legal action for this case. We will investigate and develop the case further based on our findings,” Ipunk asserted.
Meanwhile, the Director of Fleet Operations Control, Teuku Elvitrasyah, added that the MV Silver Island, measuring 492 GT, is a live fish transport vessel flying the flag of Sao Tome and Principe and is owned by a company domiciled in Hong Kong. “This arrest began with community reports regarding indications that the MV Silver Island was illegally carrying a protected species of fish from Sumenep, East Java, to Hong Kong,” Teuku explained. This initial information was followed up with vessel movement analysis, which tracked the MV Silver Island sailing through the Makassar Strait and the Celebes Sea towards Hong Kong, until the interception by KP Orca 04.
Napoleon Wrasse is a species subject to limited protection under Appendix II of CITES. Its utilisation is regulated under the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 61/PERMEN-KP/2018 regarding the Utilisation of Protected Fish Species and/or Species Listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Under these provisions, any business actor utilising Napoleon Wrasse must possess a Foreign Trade Species Utilisation Permit (SIPJI) and an International Fish Transport Permit (SAJI-LN). The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, emphasised that the KKP is committed to enforcing full or limited bans on certain fish species. This decisive step is taken to protect fish resources from extinction, particularly Indonesian indigenous species, while maintaining the sustainability of Indonesia’s natural ecosystems.