Illegal Fishing Penetration: Countries Involved in Natuna Waters

Countries Involved in Illegal Fishing Activities in Natuna Waters Based on Latest Data and Reports

Illegal fishing has become a serious threat to Indonesia’s fisheries sector over the past few decades, given the vastness of the country’s maritime territory. One of the regions frequently affected by illegal fishing is the Natuna Sea. The Natuna Sea is rich in natural resources, especially fishery resources. Its annual potential includes approximately 23,400 tons of squid, 1,400 tons of lobster, 2,300 tons of crab, 9,700 tons of swimming crab, and more (Darmawijaya et al., 2022). Geographically, the Natuna Sea lies within Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), bordering foreign countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and China. This strategic location creates opportunities for other nations to illegally exploit Indonesia’s marine resources. According to Susi Pudjiastuti, one of the main causes of illegal fishing is the lack of surveillance and maritime security in Indonesian waters (Fisabilillah & Richard, 2023). Due to weak maritime management, many foreign fishers—especially from neighboring countries—are able to easily enter Indonesian territory and conduct illegal fishing activities.

Countries involved in illegal fishing in the Natuna Sea are generally those that share maritime borders with Indonesia. The fisheries resources in the Natuna Sea are a major attraction for neighboring countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. These nations have repeatedly conducted illegal fishing operations, disregarding clear regulations stating that the Natuna Sea is legally part of Indonesia’s sovereign territory (Purwanto, 2014). According to data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in 2023, a total of 14 foreign fishing vessels (FFVs) were apprehended in Indonesia’s Fisheries Management Areas (WPPNRI) up to the third quarter of 2023. Based on surveillance vessel (KP) detections approximately 2 nautical miles from the EEZ boundary between Indonesia and the Philippines, these 14 FFVs were crewed by Filipinos and were found carrying around 10 kg of dried dolphinfish (lemadang) and about 2 kg of dried squid (KKP, 2023). Furthermore, in 2021, another illegal fishing case was confirmed involving Malaysian fishermen using three vessels and trawl nets within Indonesia’s EEZ. The following week, another vessel—KM PKB 1472, a Malaysian-flagged illegal fishing boat with 14 crew members—was captured by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ patrol boat Hiu 01 (Darmawijaya et al., 2022).

Factors that encourage these countries to engage in illegal fishing in Natuna waters, such as the need for fish resources or the lack of surveillance in their own waters.

The ongoing prevalence of illegal fishing in the Natuna Sea is driven by several factors. Geographically, the Natuna Sea is surrounded by multiple countries and directly faces the open sea, making fishing activity in the area very high. The Natuna Sea, located within Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), overlaps with the EEZs of neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, where the thin and unclear boundaries often cause confusion among foreign fishermen. One major reason for the large number of illegal fishing activities by Vietnamese fishers is the overlapping EEZ between Indonesia and Vietnam in the Natuna Sea (Agustin et al., 2022). More specifically, the issue of illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen in the Natuna Sea is closely tied to the South China Sea dispute. China’s nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea is near the Natuna waters, which has led to Chinese fishermen continuing to fish in the area. The Chinese government even declared that fishing in the Natuna Sea is legal, claiming it as part of their traditional fishing ground (Asrori et al., 2022).

Internally, the Indonesian government’s maritime surveillance in the Natuna Sea remains weak. This is due to a lack of resources and supporting infrastructure, compounded by the fact that Natuna is located in one of Indonesia’s outermost regions, far from central monitoring stations. Currently, Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) only has 10 patrol vessels, while the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has just 30—far below the ideal number. Furthermore, law enforcement authority in Indonesian waters is spread across multiple agencies—Bakamla, KKP, the Navy (TNI AL), the National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Transportation, Customs, and Task Force 115—leading to overlapping roles and responsibilities. The involvement of so many institutions has created friction due to differing interpretations of their legal mandates (Suharni & Arman, 2023). As a result, enforcement actions against illegal fishing by foreign vessels are often carried out individually and are not yet coordinated under a unified command.

Types of Illegal Fishing Techniques Used by These Countries in Natuna Waters, Including the Use of Environmentally Destructive Fishing Gear.

According to Sumaila et al. (2006), illegal fishing has a broad geographical presence, with expected benefits far outweighing the expected costs of fishing, thereby necessitating a 24-fold increase in fines to balance the costs and benefits. Illegal fishing practices in the Natuna waters of Indonesia encompass various harmful techniques that damage the marine environment and threaten the sustainability of fishery resources. One common type of illegal fishing is the use of fishing gear that does not comply with fisheries regulations, such as trawl nets, large pelagic purse seines, and gillnets that are environmentally unfriendly. Trawl nets and large pelagic purse seines can damage coral reefs and other marine habitats when used for large-scale fishing, while gillnets are non-selective and often catch non-target fish, resulting in significant bycatch.

In addition, other illegal fishing techniques in the Natuna waters include the use of fish bombs, poison, and light attraction at night to lure fish to the surface, all of which can disrupt marine ecosystems and endanger the survival of important marine species. These practices not only affect the sustainability of fishery resources but also harm local fishermen and the broader Indonesian economy. Therefore, addressing illegal fishing in the Natuna waters requires serious efforts from the Indonesian government and international cooperation to prevent and eradicate environmentally destructive and socially harmful illegal practices. Illegal fishing practices in the Natuna Sea, as in other marine areas around the world, often involve various harmful and unsustainable techniques. One frequently used method is the deployment of destructive fishing gear, such as trawl nets (also known as pukat harimau). Trawl nets, usually towed by large fishing vessels, destroy coral reefs and other marine habitats as they sweep across the seabed in large-scale fishing operations. Trawl nets have a negative impact on marine ecosystems, thus necessitating the implementation of policies and practices that reduce bycatch and promote ecosystem-based management for long-term sustainability (Kumar & Deepthi, 2006). Furthermore, other methods such as using bright lights at night to attract fish to the surface are also widely applied, disrupting the life cycles of fish and other species. Techniques such as blast fishing and poisoning for mass fish capture also lead to severe marine ecosystem degradation. All of these techniques not only damage the waters of Natuna and their biodiversity, but also harm local fishermen and pose a threat to national food security and the overall Indonesian economy.

A Review of the Efforts Made by the Government of Indonesia to Address Illegal Fishing Penetration from Those Countries in Natuna Waters

Natuna is one of Indonesia’s maritime regions endowed with abundant natural resources, especially fishery resources (Fisabillah & Richard, 2023). This richness is a key reason why many other countries seek to exploit Natuna through illegal fishing activities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), illegal fishing can be categorized into several types, including illegal fishing carried out by foreign vessels that violate national laws in waters beyond their jurisdiction, and fishing activities conducted without citizenship logo, or by foreign fishing vessels that do not belong to member states of regional fisheries organizations within the jurisdictional area (Adywidya & Budianto, 2023). Illegal fishing is often carried out by foreign fishers from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, who tend to operate near the Natuna waters. The primary motivation behind illegal fishing is to gain substantial economic profit by exploiting Indonesia’s rich marine areas and selling the catch outside of Indonesia, where it yields significantly higher financial returns (Wijayanti et al., 2021).

To address illegal fishing in the Natuna waters, the Indonesian government has implemented several legal and institutional measures. One of them is the enactment of Law No. 45 of 2009 on Fisheries, which stipulates that perpetrators of illegal fishing may face up to 8 years of imprisonment and fines of up to twenty billion rupiah. Additionally, the government formed the IUU Fishing Task Force and introduced a strict policy of burning and sinking vessels proven to have committed IUU Fishing in Indonesian waters (Aini, 2022). Specific measures to combat IUU Fishing in the Natuna region include policies such as the relocation of local fishermen. The government has also issued a new regulation in the form of Presidential Regulation No. 16 of 2017 concerning Indonesia’s Ocean Policy. This regulation emphasizes the vast marine territory and rich maritime potential of Indonesia, which must be managed optimally and sustainably. Efforts also include strengthening surveillance by the Indonesian Navy, the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), as well as enhancing regional cooperation with neighboring countries to combat the issue of illegal fishing effectively.

Discussion on Regional or International Cooperation in Tackling Illegal Fishing Problems in Natuna Waters Involving Related Countries

The election of Jokowi as president brought the issue of illegal fishing into greater public awareness. Several cases of illegal fishing were covered in mass media, and these news reports were met with great enthusiasm by the public, especially because the then Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, implemented a bold policy of sinking vessels engaged in illegal fishing. During the five-year period from 2014 to 2019, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) sank no fewer than 556 vessels involved in illegal fishing (Hakim, 2019). Indonesia did not stop at domestic measures— it continued to advance the issue of illegal fishing at the international level, including through cooperation with Australia. Maritime cooperation between Indonesia and Australia has been initiated since 1974. Through the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia Regarding the Operations of Indonesian Traditional Fishermen in Areas of the Australian Exclusive Fishing Zone and Continental Shelf (MoU Box 1974), both countries agreed on specific areas where each nation’s fishermen could utilize fishery resources. This agreement was, in part, a response to differences in the definition of fishermen between the two countries (Awida, 2016). These interpretational differences also stem from how each country understands international law. Indonesia recognizes traditional sailing as legitimate, while Australia views sailing as a modern activity. Although this disagreement could have been brought before the International Court of Justice, both Indonesia and Australia chose to resolve it politically rather than legally (Awida, 2016). This cooperation continued with more detailed agreements, such as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Australia Concerning the Implementation of Provisional Fisheries Surveillance and Enforcement Arrangement 1981 (Susanti et al., 2021). In 1989, the agreement was amended, particularly in relation to the definitions of Cartier Islet and Ashmore Reef. These areas, originally considered operational zones for traditional Indonesian fishermen, were reclassified as marine conservation areas (Solihin, 2010).

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