REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GORONTALO -- President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, visited a fish auction center in Gorontalo city in Sulawesi on Saturday and met with local fishermen.

He was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, trade minister Rahmat Gobel, Gorontalo governor Rusli Habibie and other officials.

"Please, if any of you wish to tell your problems," he told the fishermen at the meeting.

One of the fishermen rose and told the President about illegal fishing in Tomini Bay.

In response, President Jokowi said that the government had decided to take stern action against illegal fishing and, in fact, the government was moving to protect the fishermen.

"With regard to the problem, I have said 'sink them'," he said.

He added that three foreign fishing vessels had been set afire and sunk on Friday.

Another fisherman, meanwhile, raised the issue of the gap between fishermen who own small boats and those they compete against with large boats. He appealed to the government to help by providing individual fishermen with small fiberglass boats.

President Jokowi responded by saying that such boats would be provided in 2015.

"Count their numbers and then tell it to me by letter," he said.

President Jokowi also pledged to build a breaker in Gorontalo so that during the season when there are rough seas, ships can still travel to the city.

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