Foreign Vessel Auction Investigated

Foreign Vessel Auction Investigated

JAKARTA, Kompas – The government will immediately investigate the auction of four foreign illegal fishing vessels detained in Meulaboh, West Aceh. The auction is deemed illegal.

Illegal Fishing Eradication Task Force Chief, Mas Achmad Sentosa, in Jakarta on Saturday (1/10), said his office will immediately investigate the auction of four foreign illegal fishing vessels from Thailand. Allegedly, the auction has some ineptness. “It is not impossible to issue a recommendation to deal with the officers and officials involved in the vessel auction case,” Mas Achmad said.

On Friday (1/9), Maritime and Fishery Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, said her office has been in Meulaboh since December 18^th 2014 to submit a review over the result of four Thailand illegal fishing vessels auction to the court. However, on December 20^th 2014, three of the vessels were released leaving only a vessel.

Susi said she was disappointed since the auction of four vessels was won by an employer from Muara Baru with very low prices. The vessels having 200-GT capacity each were sold for IDR 100 million per vessel whereas the value of vessels can reach IDR 800 million. “I am very angry since they still dare to play dirty nowadays,” she said.

Do Not Be Auctioned

According to Susi, the illegal fishing vessels decided by court should not be auctioned since it may emerge fraud. “If they are auctioned, the winners will be those employers,” she said.

In Belawan, North Sumatera, there are 300 vessels whose sizes are minimized from over 150 GT to below 30 GT. In Central Java, there are 800 vessels whose sizes are manipulated.

If big vessel’s size is manipulated to below 30 GT, the vessels can obtain subsidized fuel. “Vessel data fraud emerges subsidized fuel abuse,” Susi said. (Kompas)