REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LANGGUR -- Losses of Rp11.8 trillion per year at Arafura are attributed to illegal fishing, according to Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance Syahrin Abdurrahman.

"The finding is based on the result of our research," Syahrin said, after conducting an aerial patrol on Saturday of fishing boats' over the waters of Southeast Maluku and Aru Islands districts.

He revealed that during his three hours in the air he saw some 150 fishing boats from Thailand, China, and Taiwan, which appeared to be operating in Arafura territorial waters.

But Syahrin said he could not determine whether those fishing boats were operating illegally and, therefore, he would report his findings from his aerial surveillance to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF).

He noted that illegal fishing in Arafura and other Indonesian territorial waters has yet to be stopped because of the limited number of MMAF's patrol boats.

Therefore, Syahrin added, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in 2013 assigned four patrol vessels to operate in areas which are prone to illegal fishing, including Natuna waters, North Sulawesi Sea, and the Arafuru Sea.

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