Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, has said that his ministry will regulate illegal fishing practices conducted by domestic fishermen to create sustainable fisheries resources in the future.
“Unregistered fishing or local overfishing must be managed right now,” Trenggono stated at a press conference on the National Working Meeting for Supervision and Law Enforcement in the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sector in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Illegal fishing carried out by foreign vessels has declined year by year, he noted. For example, in March last year, up to hundreds of foreign vessels were seized, while in 2022, only six foreign vessels have been impounded.
“Four from Malaysia and two from the Philippines. So, I think the number has decreased,” the minister said.
Currently, the ministry is focusing on preventing overfishing by domestic fishing vessels. One of the overfishing practices that must be addressed is related to the timing of fishing.
“Ideally in developed countries in Europe, there is a schedule for fishing followed with what size and type of fish that are suitable for fishing,” Trenggono informed.
Small fish such as baby tuna should not be caught and should be released back into the sea to ensure sustainable fish resources, he added.
“For example, baby tuna and small fishes should not be taken for the sake of our future generation,” he stressed.
The ministry will implement a quota-based measured fishing policy to manage fishing management by balancing economy and ecology. Measured fishing will be carried out in 6 zones in 11 Fisheries Management Areas of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI).
All ships seeking to fish in Indonesian waters will need to be registered and will be allowed to capture fish resources based on a predetermined contract. Each fish caught will be subjected to non-tax state revenue (PNBP), except for the fishing quota for traditional fishermen, which will not be subject to PNBP.
The government has also invited international fishing vessels to invest by catching fish in Indonesian waters in accordance with predetermined quotas and conditions.
Source: Antara News