Movement of foreign fishing boats shown through a screen connected to surveillance cameras from a aircraft on Natuna waters, Indonesia. (Photo: Antara News)Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia is to sendaround 120 fishermen from the island of Java to the Natuna islands in the RiauIslands Province, said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and SecurityAffairs Mohammad Mahfud on January 6.
“We want tomobilise our fishermen from Pantura in the northern coast of Java and maybefrom other areas too to fish and conduct other activities there,” Mahfud wasquoted by kompas.com as saying. He expected the fishing boats would help protect Natuna from foreign vessels and strengthen the Indonesianpresence in the region.
Indonesiannews agency Antara the same day reported that the Alliance of IndonesianFishers (ANNI) affirmed its readinessto mobilise hundreds of fishing boats to Natuna waters.
Nearly 500fishing vessels are ready to catch fish in Natuna while spying over the watersto secure the country’s territorial border, head of ANNI Riyono said in astatement.
On the Natunaissue, the sovereignty of Indonesia’s territory is non-negotiable, PresidentJoko Widodo said in the January 6 cabinet meeting.
Issues on thenorthern waters of Natuna became the concern of his government after thecountry’s authorised forces discovered many fishing boats escorted by China’scoast guard vessels trespassing Indonesia’s exclusive economic zones (EEZ).
BetweenDecember 19-24, at least 63 Chinese fishing and coast guard vessels had enteredNatuna waters, according to the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla).
Indonesia hasdismissed China’s invitation to sit down for a dialogue to “manage disputes”over Indonesia’s EEZ in the North Natuna Sea, arguing that there are nooverlapping claims there.
Indonesiasummoned Chinese Ambassador to the country Xiao Qian to lodge a formal protestwhile the Foreign Ministry said Indonesia would never recognise China's “Nine-dash Line” because it wascontrary to international law.
They were"unilateral, have no legal basis and have never been recognised by the1982 UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea],” the ministrysaid./.
VNA
