[/media-credit] Fish at traditional market in Jayapura, West Papua – Jubi
Timika, Jubi – Twelve foreign-flag ships are still harboring at Mimika waters to wait for a decision whether to resume operations or to be deported to their home countries after the moratorium.
“So, we are waiting for the regulation or instruction from the Central Government when those ships could resume their operations or be deported,” the Head of Mimika Marine and Fisheries Office, Ir. Ignatius Eddy Santoso, M.Si said in Timika on last week.
This is a consequence of regulation issued by the Minister of Marine and Fisheries to extend the moratorium of permit of former foreign-flag ship for six months after the issuance of moratorium until next October. “Since the twelve foreign ships have no activities, the ship crews have been sent home while waiting for regulation from the central,” he said.
He further declared the operation permit for foreign-flag ship in Mimika region was issued by the Provincial Government instead of Regional Government. “The Regional Government is not authorized to issue permit for those ships. They have a permit from the Provincial Government,” he said.
According to him, the minister’s policy on moratorium of foreign-flag ship and transshipment applied since October 2014 is regarded a positive influence on Indonesian fisheries sector, especially in Mimika.
However, in the term of supply, fish supplies for local market are decreasing due to the lack of the ships. Therefore, the local marine and fisheries office made arrangement with distributor to bring the fishes from outside of Mimika region, such as Kamimana and Tual. “Moratorium has impact to the community, that it helps the local community. But it also caused the lack of fish supplies in Timika,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the extension of ship moratorium is restricted in the Regulation of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries No.10/PERMEN-KP/2015 on the Amendment of the Regulation of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries No. 56/PERMEN-KP/2014 about the Moratorium of Commercial Fisheries Permit in Marine Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia.
The only change of the regulation is mentioned in the Article 3 in which regulates the validity period of the previous moratorium that only valid until 30 April 2015. While the new regulation signed by the Minister of Marine and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti on 23 April 2015 said the moratorium would extend until October 2015 due to extra time needed for verification towards the former foreign-flag ships. (Eveerth/rom)
