Bali Police Seize 33 Endangered Turtles

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, December 10, 2012

Marine police in Bali carry sea turtles after they were seized from an illegal
 poacher in Denpasar on Monday. Although regulated by law, sea turtle and
parts of turtle trade is still frequently taking place in many places in Indonesia.
(EPA Photo)

            

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Denpasar. Marine police in Bali have seized 33 endangered sea turtles in Denpasar, believed to have been poached to be sold to restaurants, a police spokesman said on Monday.

Bali police spokesman Sr. Comr. Hariadi said they found the green sea and hawksbill turtles on board a ship at Tanjung Benoa beach at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Hariadi said there was no one else on board.

“They are believed to have been studying the location well so that they could escape the monitoring of officials,” he said, adding that they were still looking for the boat's owner and crew.

Soemarsono, the head of the Denpasar Nature Conservancy Office (BKSDA), said that some of the turtles were suffering from dehydration and estimated their selling price at between Rp 5 million ($519) to 7 million per animal.

The BKSDA office is planning to send the turtles, which are endangered and protected species, to the Serangan Turtle Conservation.

“We will treat them first and after they are well, we will release them," Soemarsono said.

He said that Bali continued to be a profitable smuggling destination because of the continuing high demand for turtle meat, including for Hindu rituals, despite the official prohibition.

The last turtle haul was in October when 16 hawksbills were rescued from a ship. There have been at least five turtle smuggling attempts in Bali this year.

Fishing ban to start in South China Sea

English.news.cn   2012-05-16

Vessels anchor in Batou Township of Denghai District in Shantou, south
China's Guangdong Province, May 15, 2012. China will soon impose a routine
 fishing ban in northern parts of the South China Sea, authorities announced
 Monday. The fishing ban will last from May 16 to August 1, covering areas
north of the 12th parallel of north latitude, including Huangyan Island but
excluding most of the Nansha Islands, according to a spokesman from the
 South China Fishery Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture.
 (Xinhua/Yao Jun)

           

GUANGZHOU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A two-and-a half month fishing ban began at noon on Wednesday in most parts of the South China Sea, marking efforts to rehabilitate marine resources, according to fishery authorities.

The Hainan provincial marine and fishing department said all 8,994 locally-registered fishing vessels have been moored, affecting 35,611 people.

The annual fishing ban, which has been in place since 1999, will last from May 16 to August 1 this year, covering areas north of the 12th parallel of north latitude, including Huangyan Island but excluding most of the Nansha Islands.

The fishing ban was adopted to promote the sustainable development of the fishing industry in the South China Sea and protect the fundamental interests of fishermen, said officials with the South China Fishery Administration Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).

Violators will face punishments such as fines, license revocations, catch and vessel confiscations and even legal consequences, according to a statement issued by the fishery bureau under the MOA.

The provincial fishing authority said fishing vessels with Nansha Islands fishing permits are required to install and switch on vessel positioning equipment so they will not accidentally enter banned water areas.

The fishing ban is also applicable to foreign ships.

A spokesman from the fishery bureau under the MOA said earlier this week that the fishing activity of foreign ships in the banned areas will be seen as a "blatant encroachment on China's fishery resources."

Two law enforcement vessels, "Yuzheng 310" and "Yuzheng 303," or "Fishery Administration 310" and "Fishery Administration 303," were sent by the MOA on Tuesday to patrol the region.

Editor: Luan

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Feds make 1st arrest in BP oil spill case

The Jakarta Post, Associated Press, New Orleans, Wed, 04/25/2012 

A BP engineer intentionally deleted more than 300 text messages that said the company's efforts to control the Gulf of Mexico oil spill were failing, and that the amount of oil leaking was far more than what the company reported, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

In the first criminal charges related to the deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010, the Justice Department arrested Kurt Mix and charged him with two counts of obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying evidence sought by federal authorities, officials announced in a statement.

The charges came a day before a federal judge in New Orleans was to consider preliminary approval of a $7.8 billion settlement between BP and a committee of plaintiffs in a civil case. Shrimp processors have raised objections, saying the settlement does not adequately compensate them.

Having an accurate flow-rate estimate is key to determining how much in civil and criminal penalties BP and the other companies drilling the Macondo will face under the Clean Water Act.

In an emailed statement, BP said it would not comment on the case but is cooperating with the Justice Department and other investigations into the oil spill. "BP had clear policies requiring preservation of evidence in this case and has undertaken substantial and ongoing efforts to preserve evidence," the statement said.

Mix, 50, of Katy, Texas, appeared before a judge in Houston and was released on $100,000 bail. Mix, who no longer works for BP, said very little during the hearing, answering routine questions about the charges. His attorney declined comment after the hearing. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

The engineer deleted more than 200 messages sent to a BP supervisor from his iPhone in October 2010 containing information about how much oil was spilling out - and then erased 100 more the following year after receiving numerous legal notices to preserve the information, the Justice Department said in a news release.

On the first day BP began to use the "top kill" method to plug the leaking well, Katy estimated in a text to his supervisor that 15,000 barrels of oil per day were spilling - an amount greater than what BP said the method could likely handle. The "top kill" method involved pumping heavy mud into the blown-out well head to cap it, and it was one of many unsuccessful attempts to plug the well. The well was ultimately capped July 15, 2010.

The BP-leased rig Deepwater Horizon exploded the night of April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and setting off the nation's worst offshore oil disaster. More than 200 million gallons of crude oil flowed out of the well off the Louisiana coast before it was stopped.

As the spill grew into weeks and months, and soiled fishing grounds, beaches and coastal marshes, independent scientists questioned the official flow rates. Academics, environmentalists and federal investigators accused the Obama administration of downplaying scientific findings and misrepresenting data as well as misconstruing the opinions of experts it solicited.

A deepwater drilling moratorium was also put in place, a painful move for the industry and the Gulf states that rely on drilling for jobs and tax revenue.

Meanwhile, BP chief executive Tony Hayward was forced to step down after making a series of gaffes related to the spill. BP's attempts to create an environmentally friendly image were crushed, and independent gas station owners with BP-branded stations lost business from upset customers.

Recently, scientists said they have found fish in the Gulf with open sores, parasitic infections and chewed-up fins - injuries they suspect are from the effects of the petroleum. The evidence is not conclusive, but it could mean that the environmental damage to the Gulf from the BP disaster is still unfolding and the picture isn't as rosy as it might have seemed just a year ago.

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Scrap Steel Smuggling Attempt Foiled

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia, January 28, 2012

The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of 28,200 kilograms
of scrap steel allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste at the Tanjung
Priok Port on Saturday in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/Ujang Zaelani)

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The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of many containers of scrap steel, each weighing 28,200 kilograms, allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste classified as B3 at the Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday, an official said.

The scrap metal was shipped from England and the Netherlands on false documents, said Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya who was inspecting the containers at Tanjung Priok together with Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo.

“The examination found that the contents didn’t match with the import documents,” Balthasar said.

The smuggled steel came in five shipments between late December and January with 89 containers coming from England and 24 coming from the Netherlands.

Some of the containers released unpleasant smells when customs officials unlocked the doors.

Agus said the importer was identified by the initials of PT HHS, a multinational company in the scrap metal business.

“We honor the presumption of innocence principle, but if proven guilty, [the company owner] could face between five and 15 years in jail,” Agus said.

The import documents specified that the containers contained non-hazardous scrap metal.

“It turned out the steels were dug off from the final resting place and directly loaded into containers. They should have been cleaned first,” said director general of customs and excise Agung Kuswandono. “We already consulted with the Ministry of Environment to ensure that the contents are classified as B3.”

In addition to the customs offense, the importer could also be charged under the environment law, the ministers said.

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Brazil police probe Rio de Janeiro Chevron oil spill

BBC News, 17 November 2011

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Chevron says 17 ships have been working to
clear up the oil sheen

Brazilian police are investigating an oil spill in an offshore field operated by the US company Chevron.

Ships are working to disperse the slick 120km (75 miles) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, and Chevron says it has plugged the oil well.

Brazil's Energy Minister Edison Lobao has said the company will be "severely punished" if it is found to have failed in its environmental responsibilities.

In recent years Brazil has discovered huge oil reserves in the Atlantic.

The oil is leaking from a well in the Frade oil project, 370km (230 miles) off the Brazilian coast.

Chevron initially estimated that 400-650 barrels of oil had formed a sheen on the water after seeping from the seabed near the well.

But the international environmental group Skytruth said satellite images suggested the spill was many times bigger.

Brazilian energy minister Edison Lobao said the spill "was not as serious as had been announced" and was not moving towards the Brazilian coast.

But he said Brazil's oil agency ANP was monitoring the situation closely and would apply the full force of the law.

"If Chevron is not fulfilling its responsibilities, it will be more severely punished," he said.

ANP said underwater images showed Chevron's effort to permanently seal the well with cement appeared to have been successful, although there appeared to be a residual flow of oil from the seabed.

"The slick is continuing to move away from the coast and dispersing, as is desired," it added.

'Bad faith'

Police environment experts have been sent on navy helicopters to assess the scale of the spill.

Green Party members of the Brazilian parliament have called for a debate on the matter.

MP Sarney Filho said Chevron appeared to have underplayed the scale of the accident.

"What has alarmed us is the lack of transparency on the part of the company and the attempt to minimise the size of the disaster," he told the official news agency Agencia Brasil.

"This is a clear demonstration of bad faith," he added.

Chevron said on Thursday the flow of oil from the ocean floor has been reduced to "infrequent droplets" and the remaining oil sheen on the surface was estimated at less than 65 barrels.

"Chevron continues to fully inform and work with Brazilian government agencies and industry partners on all aspects of this matter," the company said in a statement.

In recent years Brazil has discovered billions of barrels of oil in deep water that could make it one of the world's top five producers.

So far there has been little public debate about the environmental dangers of offshore drilling.

Political discussion has instead focused on how future oil revenues should be divided between different states.

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U.S. donates patrol boats to RI national police

Antara News, Fri, June 3 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The U.S. Departments of Justice and State recently delivered two boats to the Indonesian National Police as part of the Indonesia Maritime Security Project (MARSEC), The U.S. Embassy here said in its official website on Friday.

The two boats increase to 19 the total number of boats provided to Indonesia as part of the MARSEC program. The patrol boats are deployed throughout the archipelago to assist Indonesia in securing vital maritime borders, sea lanes, natural resources, and ports.

In the first year of operation, the U.S.-provided boats seized over $10 million USD in contraband and continue to be an integral and effective component of Indonesia`s maritime security efforts.

Currently, the patrol boats are deployed in Batam-Riau, Sumatra; Bangka Island Straits, Balikpapan; Tarakan, Kalimantan; Bitung, North Sulawesi; Sorong, Papua; and Ternate-Sofia, North Maluku.

The United States Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program`s (ICITAP) mission in Indonesia is to support the development of the operational and organizational capacity and competencies of the Government of Indonesia`s law enforcement agencies.

ICITAP is funded by the U. S. Department of State`s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and provides organizational development interventions, technical assistance, training, and equipment donations to augment Indonesia`s law enforcement efforts.

ICITAP support helps the Indonesian National Police continue its transition to a professional democratic law enforcement organization utilizing internationally accepted law enforcement standards and practices.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Piracy: IMO (UN) endorses use of armed guards on ships

BBC News, 21 May 2011

PIRACY CRISIS

• Marine violence
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The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has endorsed the use of private armed guards to protect ships from piracy.

Anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia
have had limited success

After a meeting in London, the IMO issued guidelines for the use of guards on board ships in areas of high risk, including in the Indian Ocean.

About one in 10 ships off the Somali coast already carry armed guards.

But observers say this number is likely to rise now that the UN has endorsed the practice.

The IMO says there were 489 reports of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2010 - up more then 20% on 2009.

The areas worst affected were the Indian Ocean, East Africa and the Far East including the South China Sea, South America and the Caribbean.

So far this year more than 200 cases have been reported.

Correspondents say piracy in the Indian Ocean is getting more lucrative and more violent, despite an anti-piracy EU naval force patrolling the area.

Torture

The IMO's new recommendations are backed by the independent trade body for security companies operating at sea, the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (Sami), launched last year.

Peter Cook, co-founder of Sami, told the BBC: "The pirates have been killing - they have been torturing and doing fake executions and the level of violence is increasing.

"It is clear that something has got to be done in order for free trade to be able to continue and it is for that reason that the IMO have decided to go down this very unusual route."

The IMO insists that the guidelines are not intended to institutionalise the use of armed, privately contracted security staff on ships and that they do not address all the legal issues that could be linked to their use.

The IMO describes the guidance as "interim recommendations" and says it will review them in September.

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Malaysian navy detains 41 fishermen from Indonesia: media

English.news.cn   2011-01-27

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian navy has held 41 fishermen, who were on board the fishing boat that was said to have encroached into the Malaysian waters Tuesday night, local newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported on Thursday.

An officer from the Malaysian maritime enforcement unit said the boat, originated from the Sumatera island in Western Indonesia, was detained about 25 nautical miles northwest of the island, according to the newspaper.

The daily quoted the officer as saying that the Malaysian navy had interrogated the fishermen on the boat, finding them entering the Malaysian waters without permission.

The officer added that the fishermen, including the skipper, had also failed to produce any identification documents when being inspected.

Under the Malaysian law, the skipper faces a maximum fine of 1 million ringgit (327,869 U.S. dollars), while the rest a fine not exceeding 100,000 ringgit (327,869 U.S. dollars).

Editor: Xiong Tong

Illegal trade

The Jakarta Post, Nyoman Budhiana, Antara, Bali | Mon, 01/10/2011

Police and Bali Natural Resources and Conservation Center officers measure green sea turtles at the Bali water police patrol office in Denpasar, Bali, on Monday. The team foiled an illegal attempt to trade the 38 sea turtles from Madura to Bali.

Navy arrests boat selling illegal diesel oil

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Tanjungpinang navy patrol in Riau Islands intercepted and arrested an illegal diesel oil boat and its crew of four when selling its cargo in Anak Lobam waters, Bintan regency.

"We also seized the boat and 40 tons of illegal diesel oil which was about to be sold at sea," commander of Tanjungpinang naval patrol Major Hariyo Poernomo said here on Monday.

Hariyo said the nameless vessel with four crewmen, namely Rusli, Nur Khatib, Lahode and M Nur, was arrested by the navy patrol boat in Anak Lobam waters on Tuesday (Dec 21) at 2 am when sailing from Buluh Island in Batam.

"They were about to sell the illegal diesel oil to tug boats passing the area," Hariyo said.

It appeared that the diesel came from boats selling the illegal oil and received by Alimin who told the four suspects to resell it.

Hariyo said a thorough investigation showed that the diesel oil as well as the boat did not have any papers.

"They have violated the law on navigation and the law on oil and gas," he added.

He added that the sale of illegal diesel oil at sea had frequently happened and the capacity of the boat is normally 100 tons.

The skipper of the boat carrying the illegal diesel oil, M Nur (58), said Alimin simply told them to bring the oil to the Tekulai waters from Buluh Batam island.

"We have no idea where the oil came from and we were told to only take the boat to Tekulai before to other boats came," he said. Nur said Alimin paid him for bringing the boat with 40 tons of diesel oil on board, but refused to say how much exactly was the payment.

The boat with the four frewmen is now held at the naval patrol basis in Tanjung Unggat, Tanjungpinang.

Police caught Indonesian-Flagged Vietnamese fishing boats

Antara News, Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Pontianak, West Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - National marine police have caught eight Indonesian-flagged Vietnamese boats while illegally fishing in the exclusive economic zone in Natuna.

The boats were caught during police operations from December 9 to 16, the director of intelligence and crimes of the West Kalimantan Regional Police Command, Senior Commissioner Bambang Priambada, said here on Wednesday.

The boats had raised Indonesian flags and names to cover up so that Indonesian police would think they are local boats, he said.

All the skippers and crew of the boats are Vietnamese, he said. "We have so far named eight suspects namely their skippers while 101 crew members of the boats are still under detention waiting for their deportation," he said.

The eight boats along with their catch reaching 27 tons of fish are now being entrusted to the West Kalimantan regional police command pending their legal process.

"According to the temporary results of investigation they have conducted fish poaching around a month. But we are predicting they had operated for more than a year. They sold their catch to a collector ship in the high seas," he said.

He said after investigation the legal process of the eight skippers would be referred to the Pontianak Fishery and Marine Resource Supervision for a further process and later a court trial.

One of skippers, Pong Hai, said he and his fellows braved fishing illegally in the Indonesian waters because no fish had now been found in their country`s waters.

"Fish in the Indonesian waters is still abundant and therefore we are poaching here," he said.

He said he spent US$10 to an Indonesian citizen to change the name of his boat with a name in the Indonesian language.

West Kalimantan waters are included in Zone III along with Natuna, Karimata and South China Sea with fish potentials reaching one million ton a year.

The West Kalimantan waters strecthes up to 26,000 kilometers up to South China Sea covering 2,004,000 hectares of public waters, 26,700 hectares of pond culture waters ad 15,500 hectares of sea.

The fish species found in the waters include tuna, mackerel and squid.

Rescue endangered marine turtles

English.news.cn, Editor: Wang Guanqun, 2010-11-18

Tourists and local volunteers release a rescued green turtle at Kuta beach during a ceremony on the resort island of Bali on November 18, 2010.

Indonesian maritime police intercepted a boat loaded with 87 green turtles and arrested the boat crew during an operation in nearby Kubu sea as part of a campaign to protect the endangered marine turtles. (Xinhua/AFP)

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Two Vietnamese-flagged boats seized for allegedly poaching in Natuna

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 22:31 WIB

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - A navy patrol has seized two Vietnamese-flagged boats for allegedly poaching in Natuna island waters.

The two boats had been seized because they were in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea without permits from the Indonesian government, Navy Eastern Fleet Command spokesman Lt Col Yayan Sugiana said here on Monday.

The BV-99678 boat weighing 130 gross tons led by skipper Hun and 22 crew members are now secured at the Ranai naval base in Riau Islands along with the other boat KG-15381 weighing 90 gross tons led by skipper Yui, he said.

Another navy patrol ship, KRI Sangkulirang-542 involved in the Eastern Regional Sea Security Operations meanwhile have seized two boats found conducting illegal transactions in the Makassar Strait.

The LCT Muara Samudera Pacific and MT Cahaya Ujung-03 are now being held at Kotabara naval base in South Kalimantan. "The two boats are believed to have conducted fuel oil trading illegally at sea," Yayan said quoting the captain of KRI Teluk Sangkulirang, Ipong Wicaksono as saying.

He said the skipper of LCT Muara Samudera Pacific, Yuli Purwanto, failed to show a radio station permit and did not put up a registration sign.The boat weighing 1,215 gross ton carried 13 Indonesian crew members.

MT Cahaya Ujung with its skipper Nasir carried 30 tons of fuel oil believed to have been obtained illegally. The boat with eight crew on board did not carry shipping permit documents and a national pollution prevention certificate.

Foreign Ministry probing reported arrest of RI sailors in M`sia

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 19:31 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Foreign Affairs Ministry is still investigating the reported arrest of 13 Indonesian sailors by Malaysian authorities recently.

The report was first released by Bernama News Agency last Oct 17. According to the report, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained four foreign vessels for illegally transferring 125,752 liters of oil in Pangerang waters near Kota Tinggi last Oct 16. It was said there were 13 Indonesian sailors in the vessels.

"We are still collecting information on whether there were Indonesians among the arrested sailors or not. One thing I can say is that the government will always give legal support to Indonesian citizens abroad," said a foreign ministry spokesman here on Monday.

Bernama News Agency quoted MMEA southern region operations director Captain Mohd Zubil Mat Som as saying that there were 52 crew inside the four vessels comprising 15 from Thailand, 13 from Indonesia, 12 from the Philippines, eight from Myanmar and four from Holland. The crew members were aged between 20 to 59 years.

Mohd Zubil said the four vessels were spotted by a MMEA patrolling team on KM Manjong at two locations about 1.8 nautical miles off Tanjung Ayam, Pangerang, between 10 am and 5.30 pm on Sunday, during an operation dubbed `Ops Perkasa Selatan`.

"Following inspections, we found that the four vessels were conducting illegal oil transfer, which is an offense under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and Federation Light Dues Act 1953," he said.

He added that the vessels were registered in Kiribati, Bangkok, Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Rotterdam.

Dumai customs seize Malaysian ship carrying illegal goods

Antara News, Thursday, September 30, 2010 15:48 WIB

Dumai, Riau province (ANTARA News) - Dumai customs officers have seized a Malaysian ship, KM Rfaida Indah carrying hundreds of sacks of used tires and clothing, an officer said here on Thursday.

The ship was caught on Wednesday (Sept 29) afternoon in the Sungai Kemeli area, Dumai.

"After being checked, the ship proved to contain second-hand tires and clothing products from Malaysia," said the officer adding that the ship was impounded after the captain failed to show official documents related to the products he carried in the ship.

"We took the ship to Pokala harbor for further further legal processing," he said.

Australian wildlife officers on trail of 'whale rider'

BBC News, 27 September 2010 Last updated at 14:58 GMT

Australian officials are investigating reports of a teenage boy riding on the back of a whale.

The southern right whale migrates along
Australia's coasts

A witness has told authorities that he saw the youngster climb on to a southern right whale near the town of Albany in Western Australia on Friday.

Harassing wildlife is an offence which carries a maximum penalty of A$10,000 (US$9,600).

Conservation authorities say such a stunt would be "foolhardy and reckless".

Mike Shephard from the local Department of Environment and Conservation said: "If you are in the way of a tail slap or when it breaches you are unlikely to survive."

Southern right whales can reach 18m in length and weigh up to 80 tonnes.

In a statement, Mr Shephard said these whales came close to shore to rest and to allow calves to gain strength in calm waters.

"Disturbance or physical contact with them, either deliberate or accidental, not only distresses the whales but also could result in a tragic outcome for a foolhardy person," he said.

Under Western Australian laws, boats must stay at least 100m away from whales while swimmers and surfers must be at a minimum distance of 30m.

The BBC's Phil Mercer says the legislation is meant to keep people away from migrating pods along Australia's east and west coasts.

On Monday, wildlife officers were seen patrolling Albany's beaches to remind people to keep their distance from the whales.

Hundreds of sacks of ammonium nitrate seized

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Thu, 09/16/2010 10:01 AM

The South Sulawesi Police have seized 489 sacks of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in explosives and fertilizers, that were brought into the country from Malaysia and the Philippines on ships, a senior police figure says.

The sacks, each containing 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, were seized near Taka Bonerate National Park in Selayar Islands regency last week and were transported to Makassar on Tuesday.

It is thought the chemicals were to be used to make explosives for fishing.

The sacks had been transported from Malaysia and the Philippines to Indonesia on two ships from the Selayar Islands, the police’s marine unit director Sr. Comr. Agus Sutikno said.

He said the police were holding the captains of the ships as suspects. They were identified as Hasanuddin, captain of KLM Dewi Anjani, and Sukri, captain of KLM Fajar Islam.

KLM Dewi Anjani was reported to have been carrying 2,000 sacks from Malaysia but the police seized 257 sacks. Some 232 sacks were confiscated from a reported total of 1,800 sacks brought from the Philippines on the ship KLM Fajar Islam.

“They had been selling the sacks to locals on their way to Bonerate Island,” Agus said.

The captains of the two ships tried to evade arrest by entrusting their dossiers to local people, Agus said.

However, the police, assisted by the commander of the local military district command, persuaded the crew of the ship to hand over the ammonium nitrate.

The suspects confessed that the explosives had been purchased from Kuantan, Malaysia, and the Philippines at a price of Rp 250,000 per sack. They had sold them to locals around the Selayar Islands for between Rp 600,000 and Rp 1.5 million per sack.

Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer, especially for oil palm trees, and is readily available and legally traded in Malaysia and the Philippines, Agus said.

However, the chemical is banned in Indonesia to prevent it from being used to make explosives.

A kilogram of ammonium nitrate can produce up to four explosive devices suitable for fishing, Agus said.

The 3,311 sacks that the fishermen had already sold could produce 3 millions bombs, he continued.

“You can imagine how enormous an impacts the bombs could have on the environment,” Agus said.

The police are also concerned that ammonium nitrate might fall into the hands of terrorists, Agus said

Riau Islands touted as haven for illegal foreign fishermen

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam | Tue, 08/31/2010 10:04 AM

The recent case of illegal fishing in Riau waters, Malaysia’s response to which triggered protests in Indonesia, is just the tip of the iceberg, a government official says.

Riau Islands

The true number of poaching cases involving foreign fishermen in the Riau Islands was much larger than those reported, Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency Yulisbar chief said.

Inadequate facilities and the authorities’ lack of commitment to preventing fish poaching were the main reason for the continued rampant thefts by foreign fishermen in the province, he said.

Malaysian Marine Police arrested three Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency (KKP) officers — Asriadi, Selvo Wewengkang and Erwan — and detained them at Kota Tinggi prison in Johore Baru, Malaysia, from Aug. 13 to Aug. 17, after Indonesian officials had caught Malaysian fishermen accused of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.

Fish thefts in Riau Islands by foreign fishermen are regarded as commonplace.

Fishermen from neighboring Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have often been caught red-handed in the area, especially in Natuna and Anambas regencies.

According to Yulisbar, the Batam KKP has only eight personnel and a patrol boat to oversee 715 square kilometers of territory.

“Ideally, sea patrols should be conducted four times a month, but we don’t have the means for that,” Yulisbar said.

He added that foreign fishing boats, particularly from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, usually caught fish in the open sea, in Natuna and Anambas, for example.

The low competence of local fishermen was another reason for continued thefts, Yulisbar said.

Between January and July this year, 10 foreign fishing boats were detained by Indonesian authorities. The total number of impounded illegal fishing vessels this year is expected to exceed that of last year.

Earlier, Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency raised its concerns over the presence of foreign fishermen working in the local fishing industry because of limited skills of local fishermen.

Agency supervisory affairs chief Dasril Talani said the volume of fish caught within four nautical miles of the coast had less economic value than that caught beyond 12 nautical miles.

However, most of the vessels fishing 12 miles off the coast of the Riau Islands were foreign, since local fishermen only went out up to 4 miles, he said.

The chief of the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Institute (LKPI), Andi Zulkarnain, said the recent arrests of Malaysian fishermen by KKP officers showed the low bargaining power of Indonesia compared to that of its neighbor.

I am displeased by Malaysia: Fishery Minister

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 08/16/2010 10:54 AM

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad says that the Malaysian government has completely displeased him by arresting his officers patrolling the Riau Islands waters.

Fadel Muhammad
(JP/Hans David Tampubolon)

"I am disappointed. I have discussed this issue with the foreign affairs minister [Marty Natalegawa] and he said that an official diplomatic note would be issued as soon as possible," Fadel told reporters at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.

Fadel said that he would also discuss this issue with the Malaysian ambassador.

"I also have talked with Pak Dai Bachtiar [Indonesian ambassador in Malaysia], and he told me that the Malaysian government was also intensively discussing this issue," he said.

"The point is that I want the Malaysian authorities to release our officers as soon as possible because they are not guilty," he added.

The Malaysian authorities arrested the Indonesian officers after the latter apprehended Malaysian fishermen fishing within the Indonesian territory.

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