Jakarta – In a move likely to be welcomed by big fishing companies, Indonesia has lifted its ban on foreign vessels being operated by local entities, even as audits found that 80 percent of those ships were involved in illegal activities.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs had banned local fishing companies from using vessels from abroad since October last year – in an attempt to crack down on illegal fishing – as it was found that such vessels often delivered their catch in foreign ports.

But after completing a series of audits, the ministry says foreign fishing vessel with a gross tonnage over 30 can now be used again, but that surveillance and law enforcement will be heightened. The move affects more than 1,130 vessels.

The ban had met strong resistance from major fishing companies, which claimed they had difficulties sourcing similar ships from local builders.

At the same time, however, the policy managed to boost fish supply in local ports by 240 percent to 6 million tons, as the policy created room for smaller-size boats owned by local fishermen. The ban also cut subsidized fuel usage among fishermen by 36 percent, the ministry said.

"We have completed the assessment – after October 31 all will be back to normal," Susi Pudjiastuti, the minister of maritime affairs, said on Friday.

Susi said that the ministry's audit found 80 percent of the foreign vessels in use were involved in illegal activity like falsifying ownership data and the illegal transshipment of fish (loading and unloading catch to other ships on the open sea instead of at ports).

After lifting the moratorium, the ministry said it would therefore revamp supervision of what is going on in Indonesia waters, in cooperation with the Navy and the police.

Under a 2015 presidential regulation, Susi is leading a special task force that is cracking down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the country.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/food-news/indonesia-lifts-ban-foreign-fishing-vessels/