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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto opened the option of sinking ships smuggling textile commodities from abroad. This was done because according to Prabowo, textile smuggling could endanger Indonesia's sovereignty. He said he would consult with legal experts to resolve this issue.
"Should the (smuggler) ship be sunk? Please, professors, give me input. Because people will think that I don't understand the law," said Prabowo in his speech at the Development Planning Conference (Musrenbang) at Bappenas, Monday, December 30, 2024. "If it threatens Indonesia's sovereignty, we sink the ship."
The act of sinking ships is nothing new. Former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MKP) Susi Pudjiastuti was famous first for this policy. The minister in the Working Indonesia Cabinet of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo or Jokowi did not hesitate to sink ships of illegal fishing perpetrators, both local and foreign, who harvest fish in Indonesian waters.
Adhering to Article 76A of Law Number 45 of 2009 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, Susi was indeed very fierce when she served as MKP. Every year there was always a "ceremony" to sink foreign ships that were proven to be stealing fish in Indonesian sovereign waters. Until the end of her term, a total of more than half a thousand ships had fallen victim to the Minister of MKP for the 2014-2019 period.
In 2016, for example, Susi was recorded as having sunk a total of 236 ships since taking office. In August 2018, the number increased to 488 ships and 503 ships in May 2019. Until the end of her term on October 20, 2019, based on the official KKP website, the total number of ships destroyed by Susi during her term as MKP was 556 ships.
Of that number, the most ships sunk came from Vietnam, namely 312 ships, followed by the Philippines with 91 ships, then Malaysia with 87 ships, Thailand with 24 ships, and Indonesia with 26 ships. Other countries whose ships were also sunk by Susi were China with 3 ships, Papua New Guinea with 2 ships, Nigeria with 1 ship, and Belize with 1 ship.
Although firm, Susi Pudjiastuti did not just sink ships. The process was carried out after the perpetrators of illegal fishing were found guilty according to permanent law. The woman from Pangandaran, West Java has a strong reason why she chose the law of sinking ships to eradicate illegal fishing.
Susi Pudjiastuti said in 2020 that she actually did not like sinking ships when she served as MKP. However, according to her, sinking ships is still more effective for the maritime and fisheries sector. The reason is, sinking ships will provide a deterrent effect for foreign fishermen who catch illegal fish in Indonesian waters.
"I'm not a fan of sinking ships, but I think sinking ships is the best deterrent effect. We get the impact immediately," said Susi in Jakarta, Monday, January 20, 2020.
According to Susi, it would be a shame if the regulation that is so effective in resolving the problem of illegal fishing is not used properly. With consistent sinking, she said, law enforcement was able to expel more than 10,000 foreign ships in less than three months. Not because of patrols, but because of the strict consequences if caught.
"Expeling more than 10,000 ships in less than 3 months, wow, that's incredibly effective. Not because of me, not because of the armed forces, or patrols. But because we are consistent and committed to sinking," said Susi.
Susi's firmness was protested by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in 2018. LBP, Luhut's nickname, prohibited Susi's policy on the grounds of increasing fish production and exports. The sinking ban was conveyed by Luhut after holding a coordination meeting at his office, Monday, January 8, 2018.
"We are focusing on how to increase exports," Luhut told reporters.
In response, Susi was tight-lipped. When contacted via messaging application, she only asked Tempo to quote the statement on Twitter, now X. After Luhut conveyed the prohibition statement, that evening at 20:47 WIB, Susi tweeted on her Twitter account @susipudjiastuti.
Susi asked for it to be socialized, if there are still many who do not know, that the sinking of thief ships and the prohibition of foreign crew members are regulated in the Indonesian Fisheries Law. She continued, the sinking of ships is also carried out or executed after there is a legal decision from the district court.
"Not a personal or ministerial desire," said Susi Pudjiastuti at that time.
Riri Rahayu and Budiarti Utami Putri contributed to the writing of this article.
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