Indonesia and Counter Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in Southeast Asia

As one of the world’s richest countries for aquatic resources, Indonesia naturally becomes a popular target for both fishing, which is often done outside the legal framework. Indonesia acknowledged this illegal extraction of natural resources as a real threat to the country. Illegal fishing is considered environmental crime that poses a threat to sustainability of the environment. This paper examines how far Indonesia has managed environmental security issues in Southeast Asia by looking at the roles and contributions of the country in countering the illegal fishing. By using both primary and secondary data, the authors attempt to assess the roles undertaken by Indonesia in dealing with illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. It found that Indonesia has been very much active in fighting against IUU fishing in its maritime territory. The country is an initiator to some daring measures, most notably the “blowing up and sinking” illegal fishing vessels found in its waters. The government also initiated a regulation where it only allows local ships to fish in its waters. All of these initiatives are vital to help the region in dealing with irregular migration that is often associated with human trafficking, and also in dealing with IUU Fishing and conservation of aquatic resources.