Ministerial Regulation Cannot Be Revoked

Ministerial Regulation Cannot Be Revoked

JAKARTA, Kompas – Ministerial regulation is a derivative of law whose arrangement goes through socialization phase. Ministerial regulation arrangement also inputs suggestions from officials in Maritime and Fishery (KP) Ministry.

“Ministerial regulation is allegedly implemented without socialization and I disagree with that. I did not make it without any bases,” said KP Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti.

It was delivered by Susi to respond the request of House’s Commission IV member at a working meeting in Jakarta on Monday (1/26) to revise some regulations.

The regulations harming fishery business activity are captured fishery business permit moratorium and transshipment ban. There is also trade ban for lobster, crab, and water crab having certain sizes.

Susi asserted her office cannot revoke the ministerial regulation. However, the regulation guidance will be arranged such as about allowing transshipment only for local collecting and shipping vessels with a number of requirements.

The requirements cover vessel data verification and vessel monitoring tool installation. The point is that vessels must be able to be tracked.

“Local vessels needing collecting vessels are only allowed to bring fishes from fishing ground to port. More than that is prohibited,” she said.

Foreign vessels are still not allowed to ship and transship.

Regarding the regulation over certain size lobster, crab, and water crab trade ban, the government has made a solution by purchasing lobsters from fishermen in April and May every year. Moreover, there is also a plan regulating spawning crab fishing which is only allowed for a month in a year.

Susi added illegal fishing eradication should not be conducted temporarily. There is no compromise for illegal fishing. So far, illegal fishing has complicated fishermen to seek fishes.

She exemplified many employers having closed personal fishery port which are not allowed government officers to enter. Ironically, the firms cooperating with foreign second-hand fishing vessels have copied permits to five folds.

Violation practice is also conducted by domestic employers by lowering vessel weight under 30 GT to prevent central government’s permit and non-tax state revenue. House’s Commission IV Chairman, Edhy Prabowo (from Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party), said fishery associations asked the government to review the regulations harming business players.

House’s Commission IV member from National Awakening Party (PKB), Daniel Johan, said the transshipment ban has harmed fishery business players and violated laws. (Kompas)