Arrested by Malaysian Authorities, Natuna Fishermen Threatened with Billions of Rupiah in Fines

"If caught fishing within less than 5 nautical miles (8.04 km), the fishermen will simply be expelled beyond the border. There have been many incidents like this. That's what was conveyed by the APMM in a meeting with the consulate general earlier," said Sigit during a press conference through a video conversation.

To the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) stated that the surveillance of Sarawak waters is very tight due to the presence of non-operational oil refineries. This location is prone to theft.

"We are concerned because (the arrest of Natuna fishermen) is the umpteenth time in the near future," he said.

In November 2023, nine fishermen from Natuna were also arrested by the APMM at the same location. Eight of them were released in February 2024 after being imprisoned for four months. One person, as planned, will be repatriated this month.

Also read: Natuna Fishermen Freed After Four Months of Confinement in Malaysia

According to Sigit, the fines imposed on fishermen caught carrying out illegal fishing in Malaysian waters are very large. Fishermen are usually fined billions of rupiah and imprisoned for several months.

"Who is capable of paying? The Regional Government of Kepri, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or Kuching Consulate General cannot do so. Even if we pay, there is a possibility that we will not receive any services tomorrow. That is what we honestly conveyed," said Sigit.

According to the Consular Functionary 1 of the Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching, Yasfitha Febriany, throughout 2024 there were 14 Natuna fishermen who were arrested by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) in Sarawak waters. Aside from the case on April 19th, APMM also arrested two fishermen on February 9th and four people on March 9th.

Four individuals who were arrested in February 2024 have been sentenced to 4-5 months of imprisonment. In addition, the captain was fined IDR 3.3 billion and the crew members IDR 1 billion. As they were unable to pay the fine, the court imposed an additional two-month imprisonment.

Gray area

The Chairman of the Natuna Fishermen Alliance, Hendri, stated that one of the fishermen who was arrested by APMM on April 19th was sailing at 4.07 East Longitude and 110.02 North Latitude. According to him, there are overlapping claims in the waters that should still belong to Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

"The fishermen know that they are still within Indonesian waters. Therefore, it raises the question of why many fishermen from Natuna are being arrested there," said Hendri.

Responding to this matter, Sigit said that there is no overlapping claim between Indonesia and Malaysia in the waters of Sarawak. The APMM stated to Sigit that the grey area only exists in the Malacca Strait.

The KJRI has not received information on the coordinates of the location where eight Natuna fishermen were captured by APMM. The Malaysian coast guard agency has promised to provide the data within the next two or three days.

Meanwhile, Senior Analyst of the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), Imam Prakoso, stated that Indonesia and Malaysia have not yet agreed on the EEZ boundary in the waters of Natuna and Sarawak. The Concept Document of Determining the EEZ Boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia in the South China Sea, released by the Ministry of Defense, mentioned that the two countries have only agreed on the continental shelf boundary.

Campaign manager for Coastal and Marine of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (WALHI) Parid Ridwanuddin believes that the government needs to check the fishing catch points in the waters bordering Natuna and Sarawak. This must be done to provide certainty of fishing areas for fishermen.

Also read: Sea Drained by Trawlers, Natuna Traditional Fishermen Arrested by Malaysian Authorities

Pressed by a foreign ship

One of the fishermen in Subi Island, Darmazi (52), said that they have to go further to the east or towards Malaysian waters because it is increasingly difficult to find fish. One of the reasons for this is the rampant use of trawl boats from the north coast of Java.

"Last year, there were many cantrang fishing boats from Java. Even fishermen from the nearby island of Serasan have caught these cantrang boats as they were seen as disrupting traditional fishermen," said Darmazi.

Fishermen on Bunguran Besar Island, Natuna, have also complained about declining catches due to destructive fishing practices. Hendri said that the proliferation of Vietnamese trawling vessels in the North Natuna Sea had resulted in coral damage and fish disappearing.

"The decline in catches due to foreign ships and cantrang ships is really happening. "If that's not the case, why do we want to bear the risk of fishing all the way to the Malaysian border," said Hendri.

Imam believes that the government needs to strengthen its commitment to ensuring security in the North Natuna Sea. The proliferation of foreign ships and environmentally unfriendly fishing practices will further erode the traditional fishermen's livelihoods.