Sailors burn vessels from other regencies

Sailors burn vessels from other regencies

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Fishermen in many regencies in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara have been involved in the burning of vessels belonging to fishermen from neighboring regencies due to over zealous implementation of regional autonomy.

"Fishermen from one regency burned the vessels from other regencies because they claimed they sailed in their territory," the secretary-general of the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery Affairs Andin Paryoto said on Thursday.

He cited a case where a vessel belonging to a fisherman from Indramayu, West Java province was set ablaze recently for entering Banten province territory.

"Similar incidents have also occurred in Sulawesi and Kalimantan," he added.

He blamed Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy for the incidents.

The law stipulates, among other things, that a regency possesses its own sea territory. -- Antara