MARITIMEPOSTS.COM – The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), through the Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance (PSDKP), has apprehended a foreign fishing vessel from the Philippines in waters off Sulawesi. At the same time, surveillance teams removed and regulated 25 illegal fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the waters of North Maluku bordering the Philippines.
“Many fishermen have complained to us about the large number of illegal FADs being used as a modus for illegal fishing by fishing vessels,” said Director General of PSDKP Dr. Pung Nugroho Saksono, A.Pi., MM, widely known as Ipunk, in an official statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday (September 8).
For the operation, KKP deployed the surveillance vessel KP Hiu 05. The apprehended fishing vessel, a 3-GT vessel bearing the name Vitran 06, did not have a fishing license and was carrying four Filipino crew members. The vessel was subsequently escorted to the PSDKP Base in Bitung for further examination in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The Vitran 06 is strongly suspected of violating Article 92 of Law No. 31 of 2004 on Fisheries, as amended by Article 27 point 26 in conjunction with Article 27 point 5 of Law No. 6 of 2023 on the Enactment of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 2 of 2022 on Job Creation into Law, and/or Article 85 in conjunction with Article 9 of Law No. 45 of 2009 amending Law No. 31 of 2004 on Fisheries. The offenses carry a maximum penalty of eight years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rp1.5 billion.
Meanwhile, the surveillance team, supported by three patrol vessels—Orca 01, Orca 05, and Hiu 13—successfully removed and regulated 25 illegal FADs that had been installed without permits in the waters of North Maluku.
“The removal of these illegal FADs is also a follow-up to the results of our cooperation aimed at strengthening marine and fisheries resource surveillance in the waters of North Maluku,” Ipunk said.
Ipunk added that the presence of FADs in border waters could obstruct the migration routes of tuna entering Indonesian waters, potentially causing losses to Indonesian fishermen.
In addition to removing the illegal FADs, the surveillance vessels also conducted outreach and provided education to fishermen stationed on the FADs. The measure was part of a preventive effort to ensure that local communities understand the regulations governing the installation and use of FADs.
“We are not only taking enforcement measures but also providing fishermen with an understanding of the regulations. We urge FAD owners to obtain the necessary permits and ensure that FADs are not installed along shipping lanes for safety reasons,” Ipunk concluded.
Throughout 2026, KKP has removed and regulated a total of 37 illegal FADs. Of these, 12 were removed from Fisheries Management Area of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) 716, while another 25 were removed from WPPNRI 715.
The total estimated value of state losses prevented through these enforcement measures reached Rp14.8 billion.
Source: KKP
