Close the Illegal Fishing Loopholes

Simulation of the surveillance strategy for the fishing contract system is being carried out in Fisheries Management Area 718 which covers the Aru Sea, Arafura Sea and the eastern Timor Sea until the end of April 2022.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO (TOK)

A fishing boat goes along the Angke River after looking for fish in the waters of the Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta, Monday (4/4/2022). The small size of the ship's engine means that small fishermen can't go too far when looking for fish..

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government has promised to prioritize transparency and improve supervision so that the implementation of the fishing contract system does not enable opportunities for illegal fishing practices that are very detrimental to small fishermen. The government will also close all regulatory loopholes that those in the rogue fishing business used to deceive the authorities in the past.

However, a number of parties expressed concern over the current fishing contract system. For one, the system allows for large spaces in which big ships and corporations may catch fish regardless of season. As a result, overexploitation can occur.