Granting Access to Foreign Ships Threatens Fisheries
The granting of business licenses to fishing vessels with foreign flags to enter Indonesia\'s exclusive economic zone (ZEEI) as stipulated in the Job Creation Law is poor policy.
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F12%2F1edf4018-f225-4427-957a-5473c6f301fc_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
Four foreign-flagged vessels are anchored in Ambon Bay off the coast of Ambon municipality, Maluku, as seen on 22 Jan. 2019. Hundreds of vessels registered in foreign countries were held in Ambon Bay after they were banned from operating and confiscated by then-maritime affairs minister Susi Pudjiastuti (2014-2019) for using environmentally harmful fishing nets.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The granting of business licenses to fishing vessels with foreign flags to enter Indonesia\'s exclusive economic zone (ZEEI) as stipulated in the Job Creation Law is poor policy. Opening access to fishing by foreign vessels will worsen the condition of fish stocks and impact the competitiveness of local fishermen.
Business licenses for foreign fishing vessels are regulated in the Work Creation Bill, which is related to an amendment of Law No. 31/2004 on Fisheries in conjunction with Law No. 45/2009. In Article 27 of the Job Creation Law (the draft consisting of 812 pages), fishing vessels with foreign flags operating in Indonesia\'s exclusive economic zone are required to have business licenses from the central government.