IO, Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa – “PKB”) Faction of the House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat – “DPR”) RI held a Hearing with the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo today, 11 February 2020. The Hearing was attended by delegations from various fishermen’s associations from all over Indonesia, as well as the Deputy Speaker of DPR RI Muhaimin Iskandar and the Vice Chairman of DPR RI’s Commission IV Daniel Johan. The latter two also jointly opened the Hearing.
The delegates included representatives from the Indonesian Marine Fish Cultivation Association, the Integrated Fishery Association, Indonesia’s Shrimp Fishing Company Association, the Maluku Maritime Attraction Association, the Fish Canning Association of Bitung, the Lobster Baby Fishermen of Binuangeun Banten, the Lampung Fishermen Representatives, the Lobster Baby Fishermen of Sukabumi, and the Indonesian Aquaculture Society. Private company representatives came from, among others, Abilindo and PT Ocean Mitra Mas.
The purpose of the Hearing was to strengthen our fishery sector, especially in terms of developing a “blue economy” or marine-based economy. Items being discussed including policies concerning the use of cantrang or trawler nets and the export of lobster seeds. The fishermen and fish businesses hope that Minister Edhy can revise these policies, in order to improve the value of the fishery catch. “In order to resolve the mess in Indonesia’s fishery sectors, with so many Ministerial Regulations that obstruct business, today we submit the draft report of our FGD with the fishermen to the Minister,” Daniel Johan said at the Parliamentary Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta.
The report contains input drafts for revising seven Ministerial Regulations and one Directorate General Circular made during the term of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti, legislation considered to have obstructed the growth of the fishery sector. “We have submitted the Draft Input for these regulations. Today, we submit the report in order to support Minister Edhy, because we are sure that he is doing the right thing, and that in the next five years his actions will help Indonesia master world food in terms of fish protein,” he said.
The revised inputs submitted by the fishermen delegation to Edhy Prabowo include the following:
1. Government Regulation No. 75 of 2015 concerning Types and Amount of Non-Tax State Income Tariffs Applicable at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
2. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. PER. 30/MEN/2010 concerning Plans for Managing and Zoning Aquatic Conservation Areas.
3. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. PER. 30/MEN/2012 concerning Catch Fishery Business in State Fishery Management Territory of the RI, as has been last amended with Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 57/PERMEN-KP/2014.
4. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 26/ PERMENKP/2014 concerning Rumpon (Fish Aggregating Devices).
5. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 56/ PERMEN-KP/2014 concerning Temporary Stop (Moratorium) of Catch Fishery Business Permits in the State’s Fishery Management Territory of RI and PP No. 10/PERMEN-KP/2015 concerning Extension to the Moratorium.
6. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 4/ PERMEN-KP/2015 concerning the Prohibition to Catch Fish in the State’s Fishery Management Territory of RI 714.
7. Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries No. 71/ PERMEN-KP/2016 concerning Fish Catch Routes and Placement of Fishing Devices in State’s Fishery Management Territory of RI.
8. Circular of the Directorate General of Catch Fishery (DJPT) No. D.1234/DJPT/ PI.470 concerning the Limitation of the GT of Fishing Ships in SIUP, SIPI and SIKPI,
Major fishermen and fishing businesses, as well as small ones, are allegedly burdened by these regulations. They hope that Minister Edhy can immediately validate revisions to the policies made during the Minister Susi Pudjiastuti era, which they consider to be an obstruction to the maritime and fishery sector.
Meanwhile, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo stated before the fisherman delegates in the Hearing with the PKB Faction of DPR that he never means to weaken the marine and fishery sector for his personal interest or the interest of his group. On the contrary, all of his policies so far follow the mandate from President of RI Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in relation to the welfare of fishermen and the improvement of the economy in the maritime and fishery sector. “I am the extension of all citizens in this sector. The President assigned me two duties: First, to build up open communication with all fishermen, both individual and corporate, both traditional and modern; second, to build up the cultivation fishing sector,” he said. (des)