Fishing Quota Begins in 2024

Fishing quotas for fishing vessels will be implemented immediately. The stock of fish resources and the number of permitted fish catches, as well as port capacity are considerations for determining quotas.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Kuota Penangkapan Ikan Dimulai 2024

KOMPAS/ LUCKY PRANSISKA

Fishing boat

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries ensures that fishing quotas for fishing vessels will take effect from January 1 2024. Fish catch quotas in Indonesian fisheries management areas and the high seas will be distributed to fishermen small businesses, local fishermen, domestic fishing industry and foreign investment.

The implementation of a fish catch quota is a follow-up to the policy of measured fish catch based on quotas. The government has issued Minister of Marine and Fisheries Regulation Number 28 of 2023 concerning the Implementation of Government Regulation Number 11 of 2023 regarding Measured Fish Catch on September 1, 2023.

National Coordinator of Destructive Fishing Watch Indonesia, Mohammad Abdi Suhufan, when contacted in Jakarta on Monday (11/9/2023), expressed the belief that measurable fishing policy derivative rules need to be socialized to all stakeholders. The government needs to explain transparently the distribution of the fishing quota per vessel in the port base. In addition, the quota distribution based on the capacity of the fishing port is considered to trigger a quota imbalance between the industry and local fishermen.

Acting Director-General of Capture Fisheries at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Agus Suherman, stated that referring to Article 112 of Ministerial Regulation No. 28 of 2023, the fish capture quota will take effect from January 1, 2024. The grant of the catch quota is in the form of a fish catch quota certificate (SKPI) for fishing boats that have a fishing permit (SIPI). Socialization and synergy, both external and internal, continue to be carried out to ensure the measured implementation of the quota-based fish catch policy runs smoothly.

"At the moment, the government is in the process of calculating quotas," he said when contacted on Sunday (10/9/2023) night.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO (TOK)

Employees from PT Fajar Flores Flamboyan Fishing sort fish based on quality and size before storing them in the cooling warehouse in Maumere, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday (8/6/2023).

The fishing quota is divided into three categories; industrial quota, local fishermen quota, and non-commercial activities quota. Industrial quota is given to individuals and legal entities. The determination of fishing quota is based on the availability of fish resources (stock) and the allowed catch quantity (JTB), as well as considering the utilization level of fish resources.

Also read: Measured Fishing Requires Strict Supervision

The policy of measured fish capture based on quota divides the fishery management areas (WPPNRI) into six zones. These zones include zone 1, which is WPPNRI 711 (Karimata Strait waters, Natuna Sea, and North Natuna Sea), zone 2 covering WPPNRI 716 (waters of Sulawesi Sea and north of Halmahera Island) as well as WPPNRI 717 (waters of Cendrawasih Bay and Pacific Ocean), and the open sea of the Pacific Ocean.

The third zone includes WPPNRI 715 (waters of Teluk Tomini, Maluku Sea, Halmahera Sea, Seram Sea, and Berau Gulf), WPPNRI 718 (waters of Aru Sea, Arafuru Sea, and eastern part of Timor Sea), and WPPNRI 714 (waters of Teluk Tolo and Banda Sea). The fourth zone includes WPPNRI 572 (waters of Indian Ocean west of Sumatra and Sunda Strait), WPPNRI 573 (waters of Indian Ocean south of Java to south of Nusa Tenggara, Sawu Sea, and western part of Timor Sea), and open sea of Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, zone 05 covers WPPNRI 571 (the waters of the Malacca Strait and Andaman Sea), and zone 06 covers WPPNRI 712 (the waters of the Java Sea), and WPPNRI 713 (the waters of the Makassar Strait, Bone Bay, Flores Sea, and Bali Sea).

Article: In Article 14 of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 28/2023, it is stated that industrial quotas in zones 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be utilized by domestic and foreign investment companies. Meanwhile, zones 5 and 6 are utilized by domestic investment.

KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN

Workers are arranging freshly caught tuna fish from fishermen arriving at the Klademak Fish Landing Base in Sorong, South West Papua, on Friday (9/6/2023).

Port capacity

According to Agus, the issuance of quota certificates is prioritized for fishing vessels that already have legal permits, whether owned by individuals, joint cooperatives/business groups, or corporate entities. The amount of fish catching quota for each fishing vessel at the port is also adjusted to the quota capacity and development plan at the port.

"His hope is for there to be synergy between the capacity of the Pangkalan port and the size of the ships that are given permission to dock at the port," he said.

Secretary of the Indonesian Tuna Association (Astuin) in Jakarta, Muhammad Bilahmar, separately highlighted the port of the measurement-based fishing zone recognized by the government as a port built by the government, as well as ports built by private entities. Until now, there are five private ports that have been designated as base ports.

Also read: Liberalization of Fishing

He gave an example, in zone 3, some of the harbors are owned by private companies. The Nusantara Fisheries Port (PPN) Tual, owned by the government, has lower capacity compared to the Tual Port owned by the private sector.

"If the productivity of local fishermen's fisheries is low, resulting in excess stock or a large enough allowed catch (JTB), it will open up greater opportunities for new investors or foreign parties to enter," he said.

Bilahmar added that the fish-catching quota should be prioritized for existing national fisheries businesses. Indonesia's current fish production, which has reached 6 million tons per year, is required to be equal to the minimum fish-catching quota for running fisheries businesses. Moreover, it is necessary to add more with the ships allocated for fisheries catching permits (SIUP).

On the other hand, the Fishery Law guarantees the freedom of small fishermen to catch fish anywhere without the need for a fishery catch license (SIUP) and exempted from fishery revenue payments.

Bilahmar added that the government needs to explain the criteria for the capacity of ports which is one of the basic determinants for the quota at each base port. For example, Nizam Zahman Muara Baru Port in North Jakarta is currently overcrowded because the berth is not only used for loading and unloading ships, but also for tying up ships without engines.