“Still feeling brave about stealing fish in Indonesia?” – Minister Susi has inspired quite a few memes
While many of the ministers in President Joko Widodo’s cabinet are in danger of being shuffled out due to bad performance reviews by the public, one minister the people definitely approve of is Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti. Susi’s popularity is attributable to many things, but the number one reason would have to her hardline approach to illegal foreign fishing boats, which she has dramatically handled by sinking many of the offending vessels.
So obviously, more boats are going to get sunk. In fact, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, working together with the Navy, is planning to sink 40 more illegal fishing boats tomorrow, which just happens to also be National Awakening Day.
“The plan for May 20 is that the ministry will sink 18 ships and the Navy will sink 22 ships,” said Asep Burhanuddin, the Director General of Marine Resources and Fisheries, as quoted by BeritaSatu.
According to him, under the direction of President Joko Widodo, the sinking of dozens of vessels will take place in several locations, including 11 in Bitung, North Sulawesi, and six in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
Most of the fish pirate vessels come from neighboring countries, especially Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Asep said the sinking of the vessel was not just ceremonial, but would also create debris that would serve as new homes for marine life
It is unclear with Minister Susi will be attending any of the sinkings as she is also scheduled to appear at a presidential event tomorrow.
Earlier, the Maritime Ministry extended its moratorium on the licensing of certain foreign fishing vessels, in an effort to eradicate illegal fishing in the territorial waters of Indonesia.
