Jakarta – Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has insisted that she will continue to sink ships that have been found guilty of operating illegally in Indonesian waters.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said previously that Susi had been told to stop the policy, saying that foreign fishing boats were aware that the country enforced tough punishment on illegal fishing.
Susi said on Tuesday that those opposed to her policy should speak with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo because the boat sinking was part of the implementation of Law No. 45/2009 on fisheries.
She stressed that it was not her personal wish to enforce tough punishments against illegal fishing, but it was a mandate ordered by the law.
She added that the ministry only sank ships that had been found guilty of operating illegally by the courts. "We only execute a court decision," she added as reported by kompas.com.
The ministry started cracking down on illegal fishing in 2015. More than 380 vessels have since been scuttled or destroyed, with last year's figure alone reaching 87 ships weighing between 70 and 120 gross tonnage. (bbn)