Indonesia Leads Regional Fight Against Illegal Fishing
Indonesia leads Regional Fight Against Illegal Fishing
Jakarta, Indonesia – In a major step towards protecting marine ecosystems and ensuring sustainable fishing practices, Indonesia has joined forces with 10 neighboring countries to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
This collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices, including Combating IUU Fishing in the Region (RPOA-IUU), aims to strengthen regional cooperation and data sharing to effectively tackle this global issue.
“RPOA is a vital regional forum where 11 countries come together with a shared commitment to prevent and combat IUU fishing,” said Pung Nugroho Saksono,Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision at Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and fisheries. “This collaboration is crucial for managing our shared marine resources sustainably.”
The 11 participating countries – Australia, brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua new Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam – recently convened to establish a more structured and effective data-sharing mechanism.
This mechanism will focus on sharing six key types of data: protected/regulated species facts, regulatory details, management plans and target markets, lists of IUU vessels, vessel movements across borders, and details on vessel licensing and IUU fishing incidents.
“This data-sharing initiative is specifically designed to address the unique challenges we face in this region,” explained eko Rudianto, vice executive director of the RPOA-IUU Secretariat.
Through this enhanced data sharing and cross-border cooperation, RPOA-IUU aims to become a leading platform for promoting blue economy policies and creating a fisheries area free from IUU fishing.
Indonesia, a key player in this regional effort, has already made notable strides in combating IUU fishing. The country has launched two new surveillance vessels,implemented vessel traffic control systems,and established a National Fish Traceability and Logistics System.
Indonesia has also demonstrated its commitment to law enforcement by successfully handling transnational IUU fishing cases. Moving forward,the Indonesian government plans to further increase supervision of its fisheries areas through direct patrols and satellite-based ship movement monitoring technology.
Newsdirectory3.com exclusive Interview: Indonesia Leads the Charge Against Illegal Fishing
Newsdirectory3.com: Indonesia has taken a leading role in a regional initiative aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Can you tell us more about this effort?
pung Nugroho saksono, Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision at Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries: RPOA is a vital regional forum where 11 countries come together wiht a shared commitment to prevent and combat IUU fishing. This collaboration is crucial for managing our shared marine resources sustainably.
Newsdirectory3.com: What specific measures are being taken through this initiative?
Eko Rudianto, Vice executive Director of the RPOA-IUU Secretariat: The 11 participating countries have agreed to establish a more structured and effective data-sharing mechanism. This will focus on six key data types: protected/regulated species facts, regulatory details, management plans and target markets, lists of IUU vessels, vessel movements across borders, and details on vessel licensing and IUU fishing incidents.
Newsdirectory3.com: How meaningful is Indonesia’s role in this regional fight against IUU fishing?
Pung Nugroho Saksono: Indonesia is committed to being a leader in this effort.We have launched two new surveillance vessels, implemented vessel traffic control systems, and established a National Fish Traceability and Logistics System. We are also actively enforcing the law by successfully handling transnational IUU fishing cases. Moving forward, we will further increase supervision of our fisheries areas through direct patrols and satellite-based ship movement monitoring technology.
Newsdirectory3.com: what are the long-term goals of the RPOA-IUU initiative?
Eko Rudianto: Through enhanced data sharing and cross-border cooperation, RPOA-IUU aims to become a leading platform for promoting blue economy policies and creating a fisheries area free from IUU fishing.