MP Rahmad Handoyo supports ship-sinking policy

Jakarta, InfoPublik - Member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) Rahmad Handoyo supported the continuation of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti’s policy to sink the ships that were caught fishing illegally on Indonesian waters.

According to him, Minister Susi’s firm action toward the ships that conducted Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing activities in Indonesia was in accordance with the existing rules.

“I underline Minister Susi’s ship-sinking policy can generate deterrent effect.  Therefore, the policy must continue. Moreover, the action [ship-sinking policy] has been regulated by the law. So, why does it need to stop?” he said in a written statement in Jakarta, Wednesday (1/10). 

Rahmad said that he needed to give an opinion on Maritime Affairs Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan’s order to stop sinking ships.

In a coordination meeting for ministers on Monday (1/8), Luhut said that the ship-sinking ought to stop.   The reason was Indonesia needed to focus on the production capacity increase to boost national export. 

Rahmad said even though resolute action was taken in the past three years, IUU activities were still rampant on Indonesian waters. The condition could be worse if the policy was stop.

Sinking ships had been regulated by the law and ought to be targeted to foreign vessels operating illegally on Indonesian waters.  

“Illegal fishing brings heavy loss to our fishermen. Thus, government must take a brave action [sinking ships] to protect Indonesia’s marine resources,” Rahmad concluded. (Translator: Filmon Warouw)