JAKARTA – As many as 83 fishermen have gone missing in Indonesian waters in the six months from December last year, according to the country’s Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW).
Its coordinator, Moh Abdi Suhufan, said the disappearances followed 42 accidents, the majority of which involved fishing boats below 10 gross tonnage (GT).
Those incidents claimed 14 lives, while 42 fishermen were rescued.
On average, there were seven accidents in a month, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
Abdi urged the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Transport Ministries to improve their strategy to protect fishermen using small boats.
He said the government’s insurance programme for fishermen should be easily accessible to those in remote areas.
The number of accidents indicates the high vulnerability of Indonesian fishermen, many of whom work without personal protections, including insurance, and lack safety facilities, he said.
Indonesian DFW researcher Subhan Usman urged the Maritime Affairs Ministry to increase its focus and intervention efforts regarding small and traditional fishing communities.
The industry is dominated by small fishing vessels, with 99.16% of the nation’s fleet registering below 30GT. – Bernama, June 21, 2021
