Pemerintah Ledakkan Serentak 23 Kapal Asing Ilegal di Tujuh Pelabuhan
Indonesia Sinks 23 Foreign Fishing Boats
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
PEMERINTAH pada Selasa meledakkan 23 kapal asing yang tertangkap basah melakukan penangkapan ikan secara secara ilegal di perairan Indonesia.
Ke-23 kapal ikan, 13 dari Vietnam dan 10 dari Malaysia, diledakkan secara bersamaan di tujuh pelabuhan mulai dari Tarakan di Kalimantan Utara hingga Ranai di Kepulauan Natuna di Laut China Selatan.
Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Susi Pudjiastuti turut menyaksikan kegiatan peledakan, yang dikoordinasi oleh TNI AL, Direktorat Polisi Air dan Udara (Polairud) melalui video internet live-streaming di kantornya di Jakarta.
Indonesia, negara kepulauan terbesar di dunia, bertindak tegas kapal asing penangkap ikan di perairan Indonesia setelah sejak Presiden Joko "Jokowi" Widodo menjabat pada tahun 2014.
Menteri Susi mengawasi penangkapan hampir 200 kapal ikan ilegal dari beberapa negara setelah menyatakan moratorium penangkapan ikan untuk kapal-kapal asing.
Sekitar 174 kapal penangkap ikan asing ilegal telah diledakkan. Sementara 20 kapal lainnya masih menunggu putusan pengadilan.
Bulan lalu, Indonesia menghancurkan Nigeria berbendera Viking dengan bahan peledak. Kapal itu bermaksud keliling dan secara ilegal mengambil toothfish dari perairan di wilayah Indonesia.
Kapal tersebut ditangkap dan disita oleh TNI AL pada 25 Februari ketika beroperasi di perairan selatan Singapura, seperti dikutip Associated Press yang dilansir MailOnline.
INDONESIAN authorities on Tuesday blew up 23 foreign vessels that were captured for fishing illegally in the country's waters.
The boats, 13 from Vietnam and 10 from Malaysia, were blown up simultaneously in seven ports from Tarakan in northern Kalimantan to Ranai on the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti witnessed the destruction, which was coordinated by the navy, coast guard and police, via live-streamed Internet video at her office in downtown Jakarta.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, has taken a tough stance against illegal fishing since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took office in 2014.
Pudjiastuti has overseen the capture of nearly 200 illegal fishing boats from several countries after declaring a fishing moratorium for foreign vessels.
A total of 174 illegal fishing boats have been blown up. The fates of 20 others await court rulings.
Last month, Indonesia destroyed the Nigeria-flagged Viking with explosives. The ship was wanted around the world for illegally taking toothfish from southern waters.
It was seized by the Indonesian navy on Feb. 25 while operating in waters south of Singapore.
