The Indonesian governmenthas set up a special force to combat foreign boats’ illegal fishing inthe country’s waters.
The move came following a proposal by theMinistry of Defence after President Joko Widodo assigned the naval forceto play a key role in the fight against illegal fishing.
Theforce is managed by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, withmembers also from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry ofTransportation and the Indonesian National Police (POLRI).
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the newforce will track data on fishing boats and calculate damage caused byillicit fishing, among other tasks.
The unlawful practice by foreign vessels has cost Indonesia around 300 trillion rupiah (25 billion USD) a year.
Around 5,400 boats have been reportedly operating illegally in Indonesia’s waters.-VNA