23 July 2007
Indonesia Indonesia, after four years of attempts, has finally been accepted as the 27th member of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numbery said.
In a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IV, the minister said the Indonesian entry into the IOTC was a sign of the country’s commitment to continually cooperating with other countries in the exploitation of tuna fish resources in the Indian Ocean.
â€In addition, Indonesia’s membership in IOTC is also a sign of its commitment to stepping up the effort to cope with illegal tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean,†Freddy Numbery said.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Affairs Director General Ali Supardan said Indonesia’s membership in IOTC was of great advantage in saving time and money in the research and collection of fishing data.
Ali Supardan said it was also useful in the exploitation of Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Monitoring, Controlling and Surveylance (MCS), and law enforcement.
â€The most important thing for Indonesia is that it can have an access to sell tuna fish at international market,†Ali said, adding that Indonesia’s membership in IOTC was strengthened by the issuance of Presidential Regulation No.9/2007 on the agreement to form Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and its 11th annual conference on May 13-18 in Mauritius.
