To address the issues of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF), which still poses a severe threat, Destructive Fishing Watch-Indonesia, together with Ocean Solutions Indonesia (OSI), held a webinar titled “IUUF Risk Index: Indonesia in the Global Fisheries Map.” This webinar was organized in response to the release of the IUUF Catch Risk Index Report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI AOTC) and Poseidon.
The report highlights that in the three years since the publication of this IUUF report (2019, 2021, and 2023), Indonesia’s performance in combating IUUF has remained the same. “The status of this category is assessed regarding vulnerability, data integration, governance, and supervision related to IUUF-indicated fish catches. IUUF has serious impacts, including declining fish stocks, a hindrance to fisheries management, and socio-economic consequences for communities,” Felicia Nugroho, Research Manager at DFW Indonesia, summarized the report in her presentation.
Asad Asnawi, a journalist from Mongabay, narrates the practice of IUUF and its environmental impacts in his reporting journeys across various regions. “The issue of IUUF not only affects the environment but also leads to the depletion of marine resources, potential income loss, conflicts among fishermen, and poses a threat to national security. We need to pay attention to strict law enforcement against IUUF,” Asad explained.
“The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) has supervision measures, such as vessel inspections at ports, sea and air patrols, and the use of technologies such as VMS with geo-fencing features,” explained Hedhi Sugrito Kuncoro, Chair of the Fisheries Resource Supervision Development and Development Task Force, Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision, MMAF, conveying Indonesia’s government role in IUUF supervision and enforcement.
Furthermore, Hedhi explained that despite increased handling vessels and administrative fines imposed, there are still significant gaps in supervision and enforcement, hence the need for collective work with local communities and governments to report IUUF incidents.
CEO Ocean Solution Indonesia, Zulficar Moctar explained the need for Indonesia to respond to the report with adequate indicators. The context that still needs to be appropriate is where most vessels in Indonesia are small-scale, and sources of the report could be only from MMAF official statements. Moreover, one indicator of the GI ATOC and Poseidon report is to fulfill the MSC recruitments. MSC certificates are complicated to implement in all fisheries products in Indonesia since they need a minimum of 5 years.
Ultimately, Zulficar suggested that policymakers implement collaborative strategies in monitoring, controlling, surveilling, and integrating vessel and catch data. “Adopting technology and digital transformation is a crucial strategy, but we must also address gaps such as data and system, infrastructure, capacity, and resources. Additionally, IUUF must be understood in the context of other crimes, such as damaging fishing practices and illegal fishing gear,” Zulficar explained.
The webinar concluded that urgent and targeted steps must be taken to address IUUF issues in Indonesia. Civil society, international collaboration, digital transformation, and technology adoption are vital in formulating effective strategies for combating IUUF and maintaining the sustainability of Indonesian fisheries as one of the world’s largest maritime nations.
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