Ministry Seized 83 Illegal Fishing Vessels from January to July 2022

TheIndonesia.id - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) reported that it had seized 83 vessels carrying out illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Indonesian waters between January and July 2022.

Director general of marine and fisheries resources surveillance (PSDKP) at the Ministry Adin Nurawaluddin said among the 83 fishing vessels, nine of them were foreign vessels.

“So far, based on operations carried out by surveillance ships during the first semester of 2022, we have managed to seize 83 units of fishing vessels, including 72 Indonesian vessels, eight Malaysian-flagged vessels, one Philippine-flagged vessel, and two Vietnamese-flagged vessels,” Nurawaluddin confirmed on Monday, August 8, as reported by Antara.

The Malaysian vessels were reportedly captured in Malacca Strait while the Philippine and Vietnamese ones were seized in border area in North Sulawesi and the North Natuna Sea (or South China Sea), respectively.

“The last vessels captured was Vietnamese-flagged on July 24, 2022. They were arrested by shark tracking vessel Macan 01. Found on the vessels was unsustainable fishing equipment trawl which was pulled by two vessels – more commonly known as pair trawling,” the Ministry’s official explained.

The vessels carried up to 11 tons of fish and were manned by 14 crew.

According to Nurawaluddin, KKP has started implementing integrated surveillance to monitor marine and fisheries activities in Indonesia’s territorial waters by using satellite that will send real-time data.

It also collaborates with communities and local fishermen to get first-hand information about suspicious activities, and their intelligence will then be verified by using air surveillance.

Fishing vessels that are found to be violating laws and regulations will then be escorted to the nearest naval base to undergo legal process.