Indonesia Maritime defence and security issue

[Reashot Xigwin]

Police demolish Vietnamese boat in Raja Ampat
Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 21:23 WIB | 319 Views

Chief of West Papua Provincial Police Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw (photo: Tabloidjubi)

Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA News) - The West Papua Provincial Police have demolished an illegal fishing boat from Vietnam that was intercepted in Raja Ampat Islands District waters.

"The boat and commodities seized, including hundreds of stingray fish and leatherback sea turtles that were caught illegally by Vietnamese fishermen, have been sunk in Raja Ampat waters," Chief of West Papua Provincial Police Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw said here on Wednesday.

Paulus added the action was in accordance with Indonesias regulation.

Twelve foreign fishermen, who were arrested from the boat, will face legal process for violating the Indonesian fisheries regulation.

According to Paulus, the Vietnamese fishermen arrested have been named suspects and will undergo trial in court.

"The Vietnamese fishermen poached on Indonesian territory in Raja Ampat waters and carried out illegal fishing," Paulus remarked.

The boat had the Indonesian flag to deceive patrol officers. However, the Raja Ampat Waters Police stopped them.

"The fish they caught fell in the category of protected fish," the Chief noted.(*)

Police demolish Vietnamese boat in Raja Ampat - ANTARA News

 

[Aepsilons]

Police demolish Vietnamese boat in Raja Ampat
Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 21:23 WIB | 319 Views

Chief of West Papua Provincial Police Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw (photo: Tabloidjubi)

Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA News) - The West Papua Provincial Police have demolished an illegal fishing boat from Vietnam that was intercepted in Raja Ampat Islands District waters.

"The boat and commodities seized, including hundreds of stingray fish and leatherback sea turtles that were caught illegally by Vietnamese fishermen, have been sunk in Raja Ampat waters," Chief of West Papua Provincial Police Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw said here on Wednesday.

Paulus added the action was in accordance with Indonesias regulation.

Twelve foreign fishermen, who were arrested from the boat, will face legal process for violating the Indonesian fisheries regulation.

According to Paulus, the Vietnamese fishermen arrested have been named suspects and will undergo trial in court.

"The Vietnamese fishermen poached on Indonesian territory in Raja Ampat waters and carried out illegal fishing," Paulus remarked.

The boat had the Indonesian flag to deceive patrol officers. However, the Raja Ampat Waters Police stopped them.

"The fish they caught fell in the category of protected fish," the Chief noted.(*)

Police demolish Vietnamese boat in Raja Ampat - ANTARA News

Raja Ampat is by the Banda Sea, all the way to the eastern territories of Indonesia by Irian Jaya (West Papua). What the heck are Vietnamese fishing boats doing there?

Long story short, the best way to prevent further encroaches into national territory is to sign a maritime fishing accord recognizing each other's maritime waters and domains.

On a second note , @Reashot Xigwin --- its good to see Papuans are taking an active role in society ! They're integrating into Indonesians society quite well.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

View attachment 192243

Raja Ampat is by the Banda Sea, all the way to the eastern territories of Indonesia by Irian Jaya (West Papua). What the heck are Vietnamese fishing boats doing there?

Long story short, the best way to prevent further encroaches into national territory is to sign a maritime fishing accord recognizing each other's maritime waters and domains.

On a second note , @Reashot Xigwin --- its good to see Papuans are taking an active role in society ! They're integrating into Indonesians society quite well.

For fish obviously or more specifically for a fish that can only be caught in the region.

"The fish they caught fell in the category of protected fish," the Chief noted.(*)

 

[Aepsilons]

For fish obviously or more specifically for a fish that can only be caught in the region.

Just surprising that they can go that far away! Holy Moly !

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Just surprising that they can go that far away! Holy Moly !

Its not just the Vietnamese the Thai fishermen even poach on PNG's waters...

One of the ships burns. The two vessels carried 63 tonnes of fish and shrimp. 62 crewmen, mostly Thai, were arrested and several were turned over to immigration. They were caught on December 7 near the sea border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea


Read more: Indonesian navy blows up illegal foreign fishing vessels in spectacular fashion | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Aepsilons]

Its not just the Vietnamese the Thai fishermen even poach on PNG's waters...

One of the ships burns. The two vessels carried 63 tonnes of fish and shrimp. 62 crewmen, mostly Thai, were arrested and several were turned over to immigration. They were caught on December 7 near the sea border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea


Read more: Indonesian navy blows up illegal foreign fishing vessels in spectacular fashion | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Yes, I've read these reports and its quite disheartening. ASEAN needs to implement an inter-state fisheries accord.

 

[pr1v4t33r]

2 down this week, one from thai and another from viet. Nice shake to start the month. Keep up the good work.

Vietnam boat, Thanh Cong, feel the heat and smoked at Saonek Monde island, Raja Ampat

Indonesian Government Sinks Shark Poaching Boat, Creates New Dive Site

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[pr1v4t33r]

Indonesia winning battle to save world's richest reef system
theguardian.com/environment/the-coral-triangle/2015/feb/12/indonesia-winning-battle-to-save-worlds-richest-reef-system

Indonesian authorities scuppered another illegal fishing boat on Tuesday, this time in the remote south of the Raja Ampat Islands, just off the coast of West Papua. Local Papuan rangers spotted the 55-tonne Vietnamese vessel as it deployed a gill net in a Marine Protected Area (MPA). On board, police found more than two tonnes of drying shark fins and 80 critically endangered Hawksbill turtles bound for the Philippines.

Though the cargo is depressing, the boat’s capture and sinking reflects one of the biggest success stories in marine conservation, one that has triggered a major shift in marine policy throughout Indonesia. Over the last three years, rangers from local communities in Raja Ampat have reduced local violations of MPA rules from around 50% to just 10%. A concerted effort by local authorities and communities has bucked the trend of ineffective enforcement that besets so many MPAs and since 2011, more than 30 boats have been captured.

There is good reason to focus conservation efforts on Raja Ampat – the region supports more marine species than anywhere else on the planet, including at least 553 types of coral and 1470 species of reef fish. There are single reefs here that contain more species than the entire Caribbean. Scientists also believe that Raja Ampat’s corals may be more resilient to bleaching episodes caused by rising sea temperatures.

“Since creating their MPA network eight years ago, the people and government of Raja Ampat have developed some of the most effective marine patrol systems in the Coral Triangle,” says Matt Fox, Seascapes Management Adviser with Conservation International (CI). “They’ve maintained their zero tolerance policy and it has worked - destructive fishing has given way to high end dive tourism.”

Two years ago, the authorities in Raja Ampat issued a law protecting all species of shark and ray in the province – the first legislation of its kind in South East Asia. It was a significant milestone in Indonesia, which is still the world’s biggest supplier of shark fins. Mark Erdmann, a Senior Adviser to CI’s Indonesia programme has observed the change with his own eyes. “Since that time, we’ve seen a significantly increased recovery of sharks in Raja Ampat, such that on almost any given dive you will now see at least a few reef sharks,” he says. “Around most resorts and patrol posts, we now see lots of baby sharks in the shallows and manta rays are very much thriving.”

A coalition of conservation charities led by Shark Savers and Misool Eco Resort (a high end dive retreat that has been catalysing policy change & driving blue economies) encouraged the local government to establish the shark and manta sanctuary. “The government recognised the value of their burgeoning tourism industry,” says Matt Fox. “So we worked with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), to help them draft the legislation.” A year later, Indonesia made international headlines by establishing a countrywide manta sanctuary – the biggest in the world.

This month, Raja Ampat took another trailblazing step by setting up a public service board that will channel tourism revenue straight back into the MPA network. Visitors now pay a $100 fee for ecosystem services – money that will pay for local patrol groups like the one that spotted the Vietnamese fishing boat, as well as community projects, scientific research and tourism services. “Sustainable finance is a real challenge for MPAs,” says Fox, “this is the first time a structure like this has been used in Indonesia – it’s a concrete example of how you can pay for marine conservation. And it’s working, it’s almost paying for itself.”

Indonesia’s national MPA target is 20 million hectares by 2020 – it’s currently at 15.5 million. Sustainable financing models like this one could help the country achieve its goal and just as important, establish MPAs that actually work.

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[pr1v4t33r]

Jokowi’s Fishing Vessel Sinking Policy: A Question of Propriety
establishmentpost.com/jokowis-fishing-vessel-sinking-policy-question-propriety/

A hundred days into his presidency, the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration’s no-nonsense approach towards illegal fishing within its waters as well as its uncompromising stance on drug trafficking had sparked strong reactions and debates outside Indonesia.

The deliberate orchestration of a highly public sinking of three empty Vietnamese vessels last December was unflatteringly portrayed as “shock therapy”. At the same time, not granting clemency for drug convicts currently on death row ruffled a few feathers. It also led to the recall of the Brazilian and Dutch ambassadors from their diplomatic posts. Two of the “Bali Nine” convicts from Australia are also slated to face the death penalty.

A legal issue
In these decisions, President Jokowi had shown himself to be an unflinching and determined leader despite mounting outside pressure. However it had also led to spirited debates on the audacity and harsh treatment that appeared to be a sharp departure from former president Yudhoyono’s more laissez-faire attitude. Reeling from the apparent shock value from an Indonesia that once espoused a policy of a “thousand friends and zero enemies”, the legality and propriety aspects of these brazen acts of the new government have been called into question.

Based on Article 69, Paragraph 4 of Law No. 45/2009 on Fisheries, Indonesian authorities exercised their right to burn or sink foreign fishing vessels that have been fishing illegally within Indonesian territorial waters. Referred to as the “Indonesian fishing management area”, this is understood as comprising Indonesian waters (both internal waters and the territorial seas) as well as the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Indonesia. Undoubtedly, recent actions taken by Indonesia to blow up trespassing vessels were well within the praxis of Indonesian domestic law.

On the other hand, Paragraph 114 of Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics stipulates that drug couriers trafficking up to one kilogram or more is seen as a serious offence and will be liable for death penalty by firing squad. Offenders currently on death row have clearly exceeded the stipulated amount leaving little recourse for leniency. The Bali Nine incident in particular saw the attempted smuggling of 8.3 kg of heroin out of Indonesia.

While an unofficial moratorium on executions were granted temporarily from 2008 to 2013 under the Yudhoyono Administration, this did not mean that ultimate reprieve was achieved. Yudhoyono did not institute a blanket clemency for the drug traffickers when leaving office in 2014, leaving the potentially contentious issue in the hands of his successor.

A matter of propriety?
Admittedly, actions taken under the Widodo Administration have not been received with much fanfare. The sinking of vessels policy, some have asserted, was incompatible with Indonesia’s reputation as leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and undermines good neighbourly relations.

There were concerns that Indonesia’s new preoccupation with territorial integrity along its maritime borders would raise alarming memories of an Indonesia during the staunchly anti-colonial Sukarno era. While these assertions are seen as more hyperbole than reality, the highly publicised sinking event is a deterrent to opportunistic illegal vessels attempting a run in the expansive waters under the jurisdiction of archipelagic Indonesia.

In furthering Indonesia’s international standing, the country under president Yudhoyono enjoyed an unprecedented period of amnesty. However the same could not be said of current president Jokowi whose interests have been perceptibly more domestic with a tinge of nationalism.

While President Jokowi’s uncompromising stance on the drug penalty may affect bilateral relations with affected nations in the short run, it is not likely to be a stumbling block for cooperation in the long run. On this issue, it can be ascertained that President Jokowi is merely following convention.

A false expectation?
Disappointments with the actions of the Widodo Administration so far rest on the premise of Jokowi as a reformist president. Instead of quibbling over the legal or propriety basis of his tough actions it is perhaps more prudent that attention be directed to the ultimate aims of Jokowi’s Working Cabinet (Kabinet Kerja).

A strong underlying motivation is Jokowi’s identification and peculiar interpretation of the Sukarnoist principle of Trisakti, seen as a major component driving his policies. While its tenets are decidedly abstract, priority of Indonesia’s foreign relations has clearly shifted away from the equally nebulous ‘dynamic equilibrium’ approach that had characterised the Yudhoyono cabinet.

While not overtly nationalistic, Trisakti demands that Indonesia pays special attention to issues of national pride and honour that inevitably revolves around the idea of sovereignty (kedaulatan).

This amalgamation ties in with Jokowi’s Sanskrit pledge of “Jalesveva Jayamahe” (in the sea we are victorious) and the reification of the concept of a ‘global maritime fulcrum’. Years of unnoticed trespassing and unpublicised illegal fishing will have to make way for a pronounced enforcement of its maritime borders.

Although blowing up illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) vessels is a conventional practice undertaken even by other countries in the region, the decision to highlight the event with full publicity speaks volumes of the serious intent by the administration of combating this perennial scourge.

If President Widodo’s calls for ‘mental revolution’ are any indirect indication, the same rationale applies to his stance on capital punishment. A total of 66 prisoners out of 129 currently on death row are drug convicts. Furthermore in a ruling of 2007, the Indonesian Constitutional Court rejected the claim that capital punishment violated the Constitution.

While it has been an issue long swept under the carpet by the Yudhoyono presidency, it is clear that President Widodo relies on convention and consistency rather than a veiled amnesty, with the primary aim of ‘enforcing the law’ (penegakkan hukum) – yet another tenet of Trisakti. Domestically, these decisions were well-received by Indonesians themselves.

It may be conjectural to view Jokowi’s decisions as an opportunistic attempt to rally domestic support in order to assuage suspicions of being indecisive and soft. Although Jokowi’s action has the backing of local legitimacy, its motive as a form of popularity incentive remains weak. Issues of maritime sovereignty and law enforcement remain non-negotiable precisely because it is the raison d’etre of Jokowi’s ‘Working Cabinet’.

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[Reashot Xigwin]

Susi torpedoes Navy over
Chinese vessel
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Thu, February 26 2015, 6:34 AM

Headlines News
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was in no better place on Wednesday to vent her anger when it comes to the Navy’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for cracking down on foreign poachers.

At the headquarters of the Navy’s Western Fleet in Central Jakarta, the outspoken minister told reporters about a seemingly untouchable Chinese fishing vessel that appeared to operate freely despite the revocation of its license in 2013.

The Fu Yuan Yu 80 was caught on the radar of Susi’s office on Tuesday operating off the northern coast of Jakarta, with no sign that the Navy intended to detain the ship despite knowing its location.

“It [the ship’s continued operation] is an extraordinary example of abuse of the NKRI [the Unitary State of Indonesia],” said Susi after attending the inauguration of Western Fleet commander Rear Admiral Taufiqurrahman.

“I hope the Navy and the PSDKP [the Maritime and Fisheries Monitoring Task Force] can detain the vessel as soon as possible today [Wednesday],” urged Susi, who uses Army personnel as her security detail.

According to Susi, the vessel is operated by an Indonesian firm PT. Antartica, which is part of the same group used by the Chinese operators of the MV Hai Fa. The MV Hai Fa was seized in December and is the biggest ship the ministry has yet captured.

The ministry seized the 4,306-ton vessel on suspicion that it was conducting illicit practices in Indonesian territorial waters. It was seized with the assistance of the Navy on Dec. 27.

The ship and its 24-man crew, all Chinese nationals, was chartered by Indonesian fishery companies to export goods to China.

Navy spokesperson Commodore Manahan Simorangkir said the Navy had ordered a hunt for the Fu Yuan Yu 80. “The field command is attempting to find the vessel now,” Manahan said.

In December, the Navy sought to capture 22 Chinese vessels, but only eight were actually caught. The failure has raised questions about the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s territory.

Indonesia is taking a tough stance against China in its fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, by confiscating Chinese vessels and ending privileges granted to China to fish in Indonesian waters.

The government has revoked a deal signed with China in 2013 that gave Chinese fishermen advantages over other countries fishing in Indonesian waters.

After President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office on Oct. 20, Indonesia upped the ante in its battle against illegal fishing by capturing many vessels from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Citing an annual loss of more than US$2 billion to foreign poachers, Indonesia has sunk more than a dozen vessels from Vietnam, Thailand, PNG and Malaysia.

The government has sunk no Chinese vessels yet as it is still awaiting court decisions determining whether the vessels violated the law.

See more at: Susi torpedoes Navy over Chinese vessel | The Jakarta Post

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Indonesia tightens security measures as illegal fishing activities continue
Sabtu, 28 Februari 2015 23:39 WIB | 183 Views

(ANTARA FOTO/Izaac Mulyawan)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Despite the Indonesian governments war against poaching activities in its waters, foreign boats continue to fish illegally, prompting the countrys navy to tighten security measures in its maritime territory.

Following President Joko "Jokowi" Widodos instructions to destroy any foreign boats operating illegally in Indonesian waters, the Navy, in cooperation with the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, has been confiscating foreign boats caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.

Jokowi, who has vowed to revive the past maritime glory of Indonesia during his tenure as the head of state, is determined to stop the entry of illegal foreign fishing boats into Indonesian waters.

Tough measures have been adopted by the Indonesian government against illegal fishing.

The navy has already burned and sunk a number of foreign fishing boats since late last year under the Jokowi administration.

During a security operation conducted on January 21-25, 2015, the navy seized seven foreign boats and seven Indonesian boats for fishing illegally in Indonesian waters, the Indonesian Navy chief of staff, Admiral Ade Supandi, said recently.

Of the seven foreign boats, four were Vietnamese, one was Thai, and two were from the Philippines.

The four Vietnamese boats were caught by the Maritime Affairs Ministrys Hiu Macan 001 boat in the Natuna Sea on January 22, 2015. The Thai boat was detained by KP Hiu 008 boat on January 25, 2015.

The Indonesian surveillance vessel confiscated two Philippines fishing vessels with 19 crew members in the Sulawesi Sea on January 25, 2015; the vessels were escorted to the Bitung Ministry Base. The Indonesian authorities have yet to decide whether or not to sink the two boats.

According to data, Indonesia lost some Rp300 trillion, or US$24.27 billion, annually to illegal fishing activities.

Some 5.4 thousand illegal fishing vessels reportedly operate in Indonesian waters as the government does not take any firm action against them.

"We must stop them. We must chase them away as soon as they enter Indonesian waters. Sink them," Jokowi ordered recently.

This year, the government will strengthen the fleet of patrol boats with seven additional units that will be operated by the Directorate General of Supervision of Marine and Fisheries Resources of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.

The seven new patrol boats will add to the 27 existing ones that the directorate general already owns, the Director of Supervision of Marine and Fisheries Resources, Nasfri Adisyahmeta, said on Feb 27, 2015.

The government will also provide 25 additional speed boats this year to make sea control more effective. The 25 new units will bring the number of speed boats owned by the directorate general to 100.

He pointed out that in 2014, the directorate general only had 60 operating days in the sea, but in 2015, control will be much more intensive as the operating days have been increased to 280 days.

"We will make it as effective as possible," he added.

The Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry will coordinate with other related agencies to affirm control in the sea, he stressed.

The ministry has already renewed its memorandum of understanding with the military to deal with illegal fishing and to protect the ecosystem in Indonesian waters, he observed.

"Coordination will also be established and strengthened with police, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Communications Ministry, the Attorney Generals Office, and the Home Affairs Ministry," he added.

The government program, especially related to the control and protection of marine and fisheries resources, will need additional Rp600 billion to Rp1.7 trillion in 2015.

"Hopefully, with the additional facilities, infrastructure, and operating funds, we will be able to effectively preserve the countrys natural sea wealth," Nasfri stated.

Despite the tight control, three fishing vessels flying Thai flag were spotted off Tambelan in Bintan District, Riau Islands Province; they were believed to be illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

"Although they have been operating there over the past week, no measure has been taken against them, head of the provincial Marine and Fisheries Service Raja Ariza noted on Feb. 20.

Local fishermen complained they were helpless as they could not chase away foreign fishing vessels, Raja Ariza emphasized.

Apparently, Thai fishermen are not deterred by the Indonesian governments tough action against illegal fishing.

Earlier, on Feb. 16, Indonesian authorities seized two Thai fishing boats in the Natuna Sea, Riau Islands waters.

"The Thai foreign fishing boats were confiscated by Hiu Macan Tutul Surveillance Vessel during the fishery and ocean resources surveillance operation in Natuna waters," Director General of Fishery and Marine Resources Surveillance Asep Burhanuddin stated in a press release dated Feb. 18.

The confiscated boats are MV Sudita having a gross tonnage (GT) of 102 tons and 11 Thai crew members and MV Jala Komira 807 with a GT of 103 tons; it was seized with 20 Thai crew members.

Officers have escorted the vessels to Pontianak of West Kalimantan for further legal action by the fisheries department.

The Indonesian government is committed to battling illegal fishing activities since Susi Pudjiastuti took over the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

On February 9, the ministry and the navy sunk a Thailand-flagged illegal fishing vessel that was caught in the Natuna Sea, Riau province, on October 30 last year.

"The sinking of the ship proves we are serious about eradicating illegal fishing practices in our seas. This is also part of our efforts to protect our countrys sovereignty," Minister Pudjiastuti had emphasized.

So far, Indonesia has not tapped its full fishing potential and the country remains weak in protecting its marine sector, which has the potential to earn US$1.2 trillion a year, officials observed.

Based on the calculations of the Peoples Coalition for Fisheries Justice, the state lost Rp101 trillion to illegal fishing between January and August 2014; some 1.6 million tons of fish were illegally caught from Indonesian waters during this period.

Therefore, the governments move to sink illegal fishing vessels has gained wide support at home and the people hope that the action will continue until the countrys waters are cleared of poachers.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had noted the move to sink foreign vessels was neither illegal nor barbaric. The move was expected to act a deterrent against illegal fishing and would stop poachers from entering Indonesian waters. It would also assure Indonesias maritime economic sovereignty, she had added.

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EDITED BY INE
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Indonesia tightens security measures as illegal fishing activities continue - ANTARA News

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Indonesia to Partner With Interpol in Tackling Illegal Fishing
By Jakarta Globe on 08:06 pm Mar 02, 2015

Susi Pudjiastuti, the minister for maritime affairs and fisheries, visiting a dock where impounded illegal foreign fishing vessels are kept, in Kubu Raya district, West Kalimantan. (Antara Photo/Jessica Helena Wuysang)

Jakarta. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is eying a partnership with Interpol to better tackle illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.

“The ministry will partner with Interpol to catch poachers using fake taxpayer numbers, so the ministry will not be alone [in facing this challenge],” Minister Susi Pudjiastuti told reporters on Monday, as quoted by news portal Republika.co.id.

The initiative stems from the seizure of a ship named Kunlun by the Australian government, last week. The Kunlun, which had been operating under at least 10 different names and five flags since 2006, was one of three illegal fishing ships in the Southern Ocean that had been tracked down by Interpol, which facilitates international police cooperation.

Susi stressed that illegal fishing was an international crime. She also noted that the ministry had arrested boat crews that included underage workers and others without proper documentation.

“This kind of crime committed on the oceans can be used for human trafficking,” Susi said. “This is a subject for international investigation.”

Indonesia to Partner With Interpol in Tackling Illegal Fishing - The Jakarta Globe

 

[pr1v4t33r]

3 philippines vessels detonated at Buaya island, Sorong, W-Papua 11/03/2015

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Indonesia arrests three illegal fishing boats

BATAM -- Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has arrested three illegal foreign fishing boats in the waters of Riau Islands this week, a ministry official said.

"We arrested the three vessels in the second week of March 2015 during our operations to safeguard the country's fisheries and marine resources," Asep Baharuddin, the director general of the Marine and Fisheries Supervision Affairs of the KKP, said here on Wednesday (11/3).

He said that the countries of origin of the three boats were Thailand (two boats) and Vietnam. They were arrested on different occasions.

The three ships were suspected to have poached fish in the Indonesian waters without proper documents.

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[pr1v4t33r]

Indonesia vows to press on with sinking of illegal fishing boats
channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/indonesia-vows-to-press/1718954.html

JAKARTA: Indonesia says it will continue to sink foreign vessels caught fishing illegally in its waters, stressing that it is determined to defend its maritime sovereignty.

Speaking exclusively to Channel NewsAsia, Indonesia's Minister for Maritime and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti said tough action is also needed to protect and develop its domestic fishing industry that has suffered due to illegal fishing.

More than 30 foreign vessels caught fishing illegally have been sunk since the new government took office just over four months ago. Philippine fishing vessels were the latest that met the wrath of Indonesian laws.

Indonesia's act has raised eyebrows particularly among its immediate ASEAN neighbours – a region that is used to quiet diplomacy. But Jakarta has vowed to press on. “That’s what we will do. Until today there’s no request from the president to stop it. And it’s his call anyway, not my call,” said Pudjiastuti.

Fifteen more foreign vessels are expected to face a similar fate in the coming weeks including those believed to be from China. “Nine, with Chinese crew – on Indonesian flag [edit] we never captured or seized them in their country’s flag. It’s always on Indonesian flag [edit]. That is the way they operate on illegal fishing. If they go to Australia, they will use Australian flag.”

Observers expect China to react strongly if any of their vessels is sunk. It could potentially lead to a diplomatic spat which Jakarta has so far avoided with Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines after it destroyed their vessels.

“Actually, every country, I think, does the same thing," said the minister. "Australia has sunk thousands of Indonesian fishing vessels that brought immigrants there or caught fish in the last 15 years. Thailand has done the same for foreign fishing vessels which entered its waters."

"I think it’s a normal way. It’s probably the others are not publishing it or have not uploaded it on the media, which we did," she added.

The minister believes illegal fishing in Indonesian waters has gone unchecked for too long, and the country’s fishery industry has suffered whilst its neighbours prospered.

A poster says, 'where are the other vessels?', referring to foreign vessels that are still fishing illegally in Indonesia - quite a statement especially when the poster is conspicuously displayed at the Indonesian Maritime and Fisheries Ministry building. Clearly it is a posture that Jakarta is not about to change anytime soon – not when it wants to become a regional maritime power.

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[pr1v4t33r]

Another 4 illegal fishing vessels from Vietnam captured - Tuesday (17/3/2015)

kabar24.bisnis.com/read/20150317/15/412833/illegal-fishing-kkp-tangkap-4-kapal-vietnam-pencuri-ikan

KG. 90512 TS (95 GT, 5 Vietnamese crews)
KG. 91395 TS (95 GT, 3 Vietnamese crews)
KG. 94152 TS (120 GT, 29 Vietnamese crews, 325 kg load)
KG. 91751 TS (120 GT, 18 Vietnamese crews, 230 kg load)

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