Arresting Fishery Mafia Back Up, PPATK Deployed

Arresting Fishery Mafia Back Up, PPATK Deployed

Combating illegal fishing still continues. The eradication of illegal fishing is not only focused on its players at field but it is also expanded to the officers backing up such practice.

Its eradication operation is conducted inter-ministry and governmental institution. Even, Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Center (PPATK) is also deployed to assist Maritime and Fishery Ministry (KKP) in eradicating illegal fishing, especially in terms of fishery mafia.

PPATK Head, Muhammad Yusuf, admitted he has formed a task force to assist KKP Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, in revealing the people or firms backing up illegal fishing practice. “Our target is the people backing up illegal fishing. We will be all out for it,” said Yusuf in his office on Ir. H. Juanda Street, Central Jakarta, yesterday.

PPATK’s role in this task force is to support data related to financial transaction and asset of those back-ups. The data will lead investigators to determine whether criminal actions occur or not.

Specifically, if there are governmental people backing it up, PPATK will reveal their identities by tracking the financial transaction histories of executives related with permit and surveillance especially, in terms of operating foreign fishing vessels in Indonesian waters. We will track which parties have authority in permit and surveillance sectors. Then, we will track their financial profiles. Is it normal if some executives having a number of salary conducting transaction with certain amount and so on,” he explained.

Yusuf added in early January, his office will sign the MoU with KKP since there are 5,000-7,000 illegal fishing vessels conducting activities in Indonesian waters. Of course, they have no permits. “This practice has inflicted loss to the country up to IDR 300 trillion so it needs special attention,” he added.

Yusuf said the settlement must be implemented immediately. The first sector to be worked on is vessel permit process which must be stricter and more transparent. “We are informed violation in permit exists, for example the player has only a permit for a vessel but they send six to seven vessels similarly painted and given with the permit duplication,” Yusuf said.

In the early of last month, Susi said the government will form a task force of Illegal Fishing Eradication to investigate fishing violation. “The task force will be formed based on KKP Minister Decree,” Susi said.

The task force will be led by Presidential Working Unit Deputy for Development Surveillance and Controlling (UKP4), represented by KKP Inspector General with its members from Finance Minister, Indonesian Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate, UKP4, PPATK, and Transportation Ministry.

The task force’s task is to revamp permit management which has been conducted along with big fishing vessel permit moratorium policy based on import or export fishing vessels.

Moreover, the task force will also conduct verification related to the information and data received at field over fishing vessels and will calculate state loss due to illegal fishing. (Rakyat Merdeka)