Illegal fishing by foreign vessels is incurring state losses of Rp30 trillion every year, said a member of the House of Representatives, Antara reported.
According to Syarfi Hutahuruk, the vice chairman of the House’s commission on fishing and maritime affairs, most of the poaching is done by neighboring counties.
“Poachers from neighboring countries are regularly apprehended in Indonesian waters,” Hutahuruk said.
Rampant poaching is also causing environmental damage, with mangrove forests and coral reefs in some area severely damaged due to illegal fishing, he said.
In May, the government pledged tougher action over increasing foreign poaching with Maritime and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi saying foreign ships caught poaching will be sunk and all suspects prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Trade and Investment News, 10 August 2009
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