Fishing Boats To Be Registered

Jakarta, Aug 14 (Antara) - The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Resources (KKP) has planned to register the fishing boats operating in Indonesian waters, stated Marine and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo. "Registration of fishing boats operating on Indonesian waters in necessary for us to improve the surveillance of subsidized fuel use and its distribution to the fishermen," Minister Sutardjo noted in a written statement made available to Antara on Thursday. He explained that the registration process is also intended to gather information on the quantity of fish that a fishing boat brings ashore to an auction center after it goes fishing at sea, among several other things. "With such a strategic approach, we hope we will be able to know for sure the exact amount of fuel that a fishing boat needs for its fishing activities at sea," the minister claimed. Sutardjo emphasized that he wanted the traditional fishermen to continue to get sufficient amount of fuel oil subsidy since it was a vital component for earning their livelihood. "We have held three meetings to fight for the cause of traditional fishermen, so that they may get subsidized diesel oil to earn their livelihood," Sutardjo stated. The minister noted that subsidized diesel oil for fishermen was important as it constituted 70 percent of the total fishing costs. He pointed out that if fuel oil is expensive for the traditional fishermen then they will be unable to fish, which will lead to stagnation in the fishery processing industry.