Back to news article list

Indo & Thai Bizmen To Cooperate To Battle Thai IUU Fishingff

9 October 2008 Indonesia

From MCOT

Indonesian and Thai businessmen will cooperate to overcome illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand Mohammad Hatta said here on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the presidential office, Hatta said the cooperation would be based on a maritime and fisheries ministry regulation which required certain fishes caught by Thai fishermen in Indonesian waters to be processed in Indonesia.

”The Thai fishing boats should also use Indonesian flags. Therefore, the Indonesian embassy in Thailand will act as a bridge between the Indonesian and Thai businessmen,” he said, adding that since the isuance of the Indonesian government’s regulation, Thai fishermen could no longer fish in Indonesian waters unless certain fishes they catch are processed in Indonesia.

According to Hatta, the cooperation was part of Indonesia’s efforts to legalize illegal fishing committed by Thai fishermen in Indonesian waters.

”Thailand has a very good fish market and 90 percent of fish sold there were caught illegally in Indonesian waters,” Hatta said.

He said at a meeting with hundreds of Thai fishery businessmen, most of them had made a commitment to cooperate with Indonesian businessmen to build fish processing plants in Indonesia.

Hatta said the Thai businessmen had asked that the fish processing plants be located in two central fish catching areas, either in Batam or Natuna and in the Arafura Sea in Maluku or Papua.

They also asked that the Indonesian businessmen provide not only the needed land for the fish processing plants but also the needed electricity, water, and transportation facilities.

The fishery cooperation plan, according to Hatta, had been reported to President Yudhoyono, and the president had asked him to follow it up by involving the two countries’ chambers of commerce and industry.

Hatta met with the president in relation with a planned visit to Indonesia by newly elected Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on October 22, 2008.