Sixty-one warships have been deployed to secure Indonesia’s maritime territory in the western parts of the country, Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade Supandi has said.
The deployment of the warships is also aimed at protecting local fishermen against the threat of illegal fishing by foreign fishermen.
“The maritime territory around Riau Islands is among those that we will secure,” he said in Tanjungpinang on Monday as quoted by Antara news agency.
Ade said the focus on waters around Riau Islands and other western regions was a result of rampant poaching by foreign fishing vessels.
Supandi has advised local fishermen not to worry about threats from foreign fishermen. If foreign fishermen threatened the livelihoods of local fishermen, the Navy would do its utmost to chase and capture them.
“If foreign parties chase our fishermen, we will chase them back and catch them,” he remarked after a brief meeting with Riau Islands Governor HM Sani.
On the same occasion Supandi warned local fishermen against poaching in the territorial waters of neighboring countries and to remain within Indonesian waters.
He also said they were not permitted to trawl for catch fish. “They must possess fishing permits,” he added.
2015 PT. Niskala Media Tenggara