VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Every April 6, Indonesia commemorates National Fisherman Day. In 2019, the commemoration was used as a momentum for the rise of fishermen in Indonesia, especially after the government has supported the welfare of fishermen and their family members through various policies.The 2012 data of the Food and Agriculture Organization shows that Indonesia is ranked third in the world in fisheries production, below China and India. This potential should make Indonesian fishermen able to produce large quantities of fish which can ultimately improve their welfare.In Article 33 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution, it is stated that the earth and water and natural resources contained therein are controlled by the state and are used for the prosperity of the people. However, it cannot be denied that Indonesia's marine wealth is dominated by some foreign parties. Some of them are illegal and they tend to prioritize personal and group interests.Last weekends, two foreign fishing vessels with Malaysian flags were captured by Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in the Malacca Strait. The arrest adds to the number of illegal vessels that were successfully captured by the KKP during 2019. From January to April 7, 2019, 27 illegal vessels were captured when attempting to illegally steal fish resources.Indonesia is a country rich in marine wealth. Geographically, Indonesia is an archipelagic country with two-thirds of its territory consisting of oceans, larger than land. This can be seen by the presence of coastlines on almost every island in Indonesia, with a total length of approximately 81,000 kilometers. This makes Indonesia second only to Canada as the country that has the longest coastline in the world. This has become Indonesia's great strength and potential to advance its economy.The capture carried out by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) against foreign vessels carrying out illegal fishing shows the government's attention in improving services and protection of Indonesian fishermen. Fish theft carried out by foreign vessels certainly reduces the produce of Indonesian fishermen. The arrest also shows the presence of the state amidst the national fishermen.The 2019 National Fisherman Day must be a great momentum for the rise of Indonesian fishermen to be sovereign in their own country, especially by continuing to expel foreign ships that illegally search Indonesia's marine resources. Happy National Fisherman Day.