Lapang Islanders in Indonesia

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

(Live Kryon Channelings was given 7 times within the United Nations building.)


Question: Dear Kryon: I live in Spain. I am sorry if I will ask you a question you might have already answered, but the translations of your books are very slow and I might not have gathered all information you have already given. I am quite concerned about abandoned animals. It seems that many people buy animals for their children and as soon as they grow, they set them out somewhere. Recently I had the occasion to see a small kitten in the middle of the street. I did not immediately react, since I could have stopped and taken it, without getting out of the car. So, I went on and at the first occasion I could turn, I went back to see if I could take the kitten, but it was to late, somebody had already killed it. This happened some month ago, but I still feel very sorry for that kitten. I just would like to know, what kind of entity are these animals and how does this fit in our world. Are these entities which choose this kind of life, like we do choose our kind of Human life? I see so many abandoned animals and every time I see one, my heart aches... I would like to know more about them.

Answer: Dear one, indeed the answer has been given, but let us give it again so you all understand. Animals are here on earth for three (3) reasons.

(1) The balance of biological life. . . the circle of energy that is needed for you to exist in what you call "nature."

(2) To be harvested. Yes, it's true. Many exist for your sustenance, and this is appropriate. It is a harmony between Human and animal, and always has. Remember the buffalo that willingly came into the indigenous tribes to be sacrificed when called? These are stories that you should examine again. The inappropriateness of today's culture is how these precious creatures are treated. Did you know that if there was an honoring ceremony at their death, they would nourish you better? Did you know that there is ceremony that could benefit all of humanity in this way. Perhaps it's time you saw it.

(3) To be loved and to love. For many cultures, animals serve as surrogate children, loved and taken care of. It gives Humans a chance to show compassion when they need it, and to have unconditional love when they need it. This is extremely important to many, and provides balance and centering for many.

Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.

Japan's Antarctic whaling hunt ruled 'not scientific'

Japan's Antarctic whaling hunt ruled 'not scientific'
Representatives of Japan and Australia shake hands at the court in The Hague. (NOS/ANP) - 31 March 2014
"Fast-Tracking" - Feb 8, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Reference to Fukushima / H-bomb nuclear pollution and a warning about nuclear > 20 Min)

China calls for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes

China calls for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes
Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the enforcement of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 9, 2014. The Chinese envoy on Monday called for a harmonious maritime order, saying that maritime disputes should be settled through negotiation between the parties directly involved. (Xinhua/Niu Xiaolei)

UNCLOS 200 nautical miles vs China claimed territorial waters

UNCLOS 200 nautical miles vs China claimed territorial waters

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Delivering logistics

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 04/08/2009 4:32 PM

Workers in tourist island, Lombok, load boxes that will be used as vote containers in the upcoming general elections on Thursday in Gili Meno Village. (Antara/Budi Afandi)

Related Article:

Four Floating Voting Stations at Seribu islands


Wednesday, April 8, 2009

41 illegal ports in Batam make way for illegal entry: Authorities

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 04/08/2009 7:21 PM


Illegal ports have provided means for illegal immigrants to enter Indonesia, immigration director general Basyir Ahmad Barmawi said on Wednesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.


According to reports there are 41 illegal ports in Batam. These have been used not only by smugglers but also human traffickers, particularly from abroad.


"We will deal with illegal immigrants with the help of various other institutions," Batam administration officer I Wayan Subawa said.


Illegal immigrants come under the authority of the Foreign Ministry. (amr)


Monday, April 6, 2009

Eximbank restructures $88m loans to PT PAL

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/06/2009 8:32 PM


Indonesia’s Export Import Bank (BEI) signed a deal to restructure its troubled Rp 1 trillion (US$88 million) loan owed by ailing state shipyard company PT PAL on Monday to help keep the company afloat.


“Our loans to PAL almost reached the maximum limit of disbursed credits, or 25 percent of our total equity which stands at Rp 4.3 trillion,” BEI president director Arifin Indra said on Monday.


He said the bank would still support PAL despite their weak condition by restructuring some of their loan requirements.


“The bank is only restructuring the loans related to working capital for the construction of vessels that are still 25 percent finished,” he said.


PAL has been in financial trouble since it received a contract for the construction of 20 vessels in 2006.


As costs of ship construction soared since then, PT PAL could not cover the increased full production costs and now, the company still has 18 unfinished orders.


The unfinished projects include the building of two vessels ordered by the Navy, four escort tugs worth $6.5 million each ordered by energy company BP Plc and three 38-meter boats ordered by the customs and excise agency.


There is another order for a 50,000 dead weight ton (DWT) vessels ordered by a Turkish private company.


PT PAL also has orders from Italian companies for a tanker with a capacity of 24,000 tons and two tankers with a capacity of 6,000 tons each.


RI urged to put an end to illegal, unreported fishing

BeritaSore, Sen, Apr 6, 2009

In the runup to the upcoming World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia has been urged to make use of the event to ask other countries to stop illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.


“The government should be able to make use of the opportunity to secure a commitment against IUU fishing,” secretary general of the People’s Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara), Riza Damanik, said in a press briefing in connection with the WOC here on Friday. Riza said the government had to abandon its risky diplomacy of expecting aid funds for the rehabilitation of coral reefs to fight global warming. The government, Riza said, needs to act wisely by making use of the WOC in Manado on May 11-15 2009 to demand 10 countries to stop poaching in Indonesia.


In the past 10 years foreign fishing vessels from 10 countries had been poaching in Indonesian waters. Those countries included Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea, China, Taiwan, Panama, Myanmar and Malaysia.”The crisis in our seas is related to crimes committed in the seas. Because of illegal fishing we have lost 50 percent of our marine resources,” Reza said. The chairman of the Anti-Debt Coalition, Dani Setiawan, meanwhile, said Indonesia must be able to control its territorial sea.


It means, he said, Indonesia must not use the WOC to seek loans because it is feared they would make the country to lose its control of its sea. The director general of supervision and control of marine resources and fishery, Aji Sularso, said earlier that most vessels conducted illegal fishing in the country’s waters so far came from Vietnam.


He said however that it was Thailand that had exploited most of Indonesian fishery resources. He said Thailand already had a had strong network in the country. Earlier, former Minister of Maritime Exploration sSarwono Kusumaatmadja said illegal fishing by foreigners in Indonesian waters had cost the country an estimated US$4 billion in revenue every year.


Sarwono noted that the foreigners were getting more of Indonesia’s maritime resources than Indonesians themselves, while this country itself only earned some US$2.2 billion from its fishing sector.


“It’s our water and fish, but we ourselves are losing. It’s ridiculous, he said, adding that illegal fishing activities were mostly committed by foreign poachers from the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and China and some other neighboring countries that had no cooperation agreement with the government of Indonesia.


In fact, the poachers often used high technology in fishing, causing difficulty to Indonesian patrol boats to detect their presence. More tragic is that the poachers have shown no fear of Indonesian patrols, who are either outnumbered or poorly armed, director general of monitoring and control at the marine and fishery ministry, Aji Sularso, said earlier.


“The illegal fishermen show no respect for our national law. The shoot-and-sink policy will be part of a show of force to deter them,” he said. Aji said illegal fishing had become out of control, as it was “threatening Indonesia’s economic and territorial sovereignty”.


Under the Indonesian fishery Law No. 31/2004 on fisheries, the ministry’s patrol guards are authorized to carry guns. But in particular, the law concerned is designed to accommodate the needs and challenges of developing the fishing industry and to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing.


The Indonesian government has been criticized for being “too lenient” in releasing and allowing Filipino fishermen to repatriate and reunite with their families. They would usually give one of two reasons, either citing humanitarian reasons or a lack of funds to provide basic needs and shelter. In addition, hundreds of confiscated foreign-flagged fishing vessels are now crowding dozens of seaports across Indonesia.


They are corroding, if not sinking and already wrecked, while waiting for legal processing, which could take years to complete. But no specific budget has been allocated for their maintenance.


Indonesia, which loses US$4 billion a year to poaching, is desperate to beef up its fishery patrol fleet, which currently consists of only 21 vessels. Securing the fishing boats could at least reduce the losses the country suffers.


Last year the government established five ad hoc fishery courts in Jakarta, Medan (North Sumatra), Pontianak, Tual island in Maluku and Bitung (North Sulawesi) in a bid to cut short the prolonged legal process against poachers, particularly those from overseas.


However, the ad hoc courts do not help achieve the goal as law enforcers are often divided over how to settle poaching cases. Maintaining this policy would risk Indonesia’s interest, not only will it send the wrong message on how Indonesia upholds the law, but it could also lead to an increase in the frequency of IUU in Indonesia.


Unfortunately, until now Indonesia has not established a special committee to deal with illegal fishing cases. The government tends to rely on a sectoral approach in handling such cases. Coordination between related government agencies is weak and would not be applied on a regular basis. A fisheries court has not been established either.


Indonesia and the Philippines have established a mechanism of Joint Commission on bilateral cooperation. The two countries have also signed an MoU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation in General Santos, the Philippines, on Feb. 23, 2006. However, the two countries have not yet established a bilateral arrangement to table particular issues of fishermen. ( ant/ Eliswan Azly )



Indonesian fishermen banned from fishing in waters borderring with Australia

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian and Australian governments will conduct a campaign to fishermen in six provinces telling them not to catch fish in the waters in the border regions of the two countries, an official said.


The fishing ban will be imposed on the waters of Indonesia`s six provinces bordering with Australian waters, Soen`an Hadi Purnomo, head of center of information and statistical data of the Marine and Fishery Ministry said here Sunday.


According to him, the fishing ban declared in a series of workshops in the six provinces East Java, Papua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and Maluku.


Counseling on the fishing ban will be held by the DKP jointly with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for sustainable fishery management in the two countries` border.


In addition, Augy Syahailatua, head of marine resources division at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said that to date, Indonesian traditional fishermen have been accustomed to fishing at the waters border.


Based on MoU Box/1974, an agreement was reached on the overlapping waters border especially at the Pulau Pasir and Pulau Baru, which become Indonesian jurisdiction over the swimming fisher management.


Meanwhile Australia has jurisdiction over sedentary fish species such as shellfish (tripang in Indonesian).


In Jakarta on March 24, some 20 fishermen and non-governmental organization (NGO) activists from South Sulawesi staged a demonstration outside the Australian Embassy, demanding compensation for fishing boats Australian authorities had burned.


"We ask for compensation for our fishing boats Australia has burned," Haeruddin, one of the fishermen, told the press here.


He said Australian authorities had confiscated and torched his boat in the southern part of Indonesia`s East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial waters.


When the incident happened, his boat was still tens of miles away from the Indonesia-Australia sea border, Haeruddin added.



IOTC drops plans to limit tuna fishing

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/06/2009 2:59 PM


The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) concluded its 13th annual meeting last week with a deal to drop a plan limiting fishing capacity, following opposition from key member countries, including Indonesia.


Indonesian delegation head Suseno Sukoyono told The Jakarta Post on Sunday the commission had decided to review the plan as members from developing countries believed it would destroy their fishing in-dustries, saying limiting catches would give little room for the industry to grow.


Suseno also said Indonesia, whose fishing industry is comprises mostly traditional fishermen, opposed the plan because it would "endanger the livelihood" of the small businesses.


"It would be detrimental should the commission apply the policy; we would be severely affected," he said.


IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi said during the opening of the meeting that the commission would discuss the limitation of fishing capacity with its member countries.


He added the commission had been concerned with the fact that tuna feedstock in the region was being overfished.


However, as the meeting progressed, the plan, initiated by the European Union, was strongly opposed by other countries, including Australia, which is also worried about disruptions to its fishing industry.


Australia is the IOTC member with the biggest exposure in the Indian Ocean.


Other opposing countries included Oman, Mauritius and India.


Besides delaying the catch limit policy, the meeting also agreed to postpone a plan to limit fishing fleets, as data and proposal from member countries remained incomplete.


Suseno also said it had been agreed during the meeting to retain Anganuzzi as the commission's executive director for the next three years.


"It's our strategy to protect the interests of developing countries, as Anganuzzi represents the FAO *Food and Agricultural Organization*," he said.


The IOTC is an intergovernmental organization under the auspices of the FAO. It has 28 members, including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.


Previously, there was also a proposal to discuss the possibility of the IOTC being separated from the FAO.


However, the proposal was dropped due to opposition from developing countries, Suseno said.


Indonesian representative Nilanto Prabowo said a separation from the FAO might lead to increased control of the organization by developed nations.


The IOTC manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjoining seas, with the main objective of promoting both cooperation among members and the sustainability of tuna resources.


Indonesia is the 27th member of the IOTC.


According to the commission, the region produces more than 1 million tons of tuna annually, worth between US$3 billion and $5 billion.



Sunday, April 5, 2009

An Antarctic ice shelf has disappeared: scientists

Reuters, Sat Apr 4, 2009 7:06pm EDT


A view of the leading edge of the remaining part of the Larsen B ice shelf that extends into the northwest part of the Weddell Sea is seen in this handout photo taken on March 4, 2008.(REUTERS/Mariano Caravaca/Handout)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One Antarctic ice shelf has quickly vanished, another is disappearing and glaciers are melting faster than anyone thought due to climate change, U.S. and British government researchers reported on Friday.

They said the Wordie Ice Shelf, which had been disintegrating since the 1960s, is gone and the northern part of the Larsen Ice Shelf no longer exists. More than 3,200 square miles (8,300 square km) have broken off from the Larsen shelf since 1986.

Climate change is to blame, according to the report from the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey, available at pubs.usgs.gov/imap/2600/B.

"The rapid retreat of glaciers there demonstrates once again the profound effects our planet is already experiencing -- more rapidly than previously known -- as a consequence of climate change," U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.

"This continued and often significant glacier retreat is a wakeup call that change is happening ... and we need to be prepared," USGS glaciologist Jane Ferrigno, who led the Antarctica study, said in a statement.

"Antarctica is of special interest because it holds an estimated 91 percent of the Earth's glacier volume, and change anywhere in the ice sheet poses significant hazards to society," she said.

In another report published in the journal Geophysical Letters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that ice is melting much more rapidly than expected in the Arctic as well, based on new computer analyses and recent ice measurements.

The U.N. Climate Panel projects that world atmospheric temperature will rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius because of emissions of greenhouse gases that could bring floods, droughts, heat waves and more powerful storms.

As glaciers and ice sheets melt, they can raise overall ocean levels and swamp low-lying areas.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Related Articles:

Ice Bridge Holding Antarctic Shelf in Place Shatters

Study: Arctic sea ice melting faster than expected

Jakarta Predicted to be Underwater By 2012


Friday, April 3, 2009

As of 2010, all means af sea transport must fly Indonesian flag

Medan (ANTARA News) - All means of sea transport operating in Indonesia need to fly the Indonesian flag as of 2010.


"Meanwhile, commodities imported using government funds must use Indonesian ships," head of the foreign sea transportation sub directorate of the transportation ministry, Adolf R Tambunan, said here on Thursday.


According to him, this decision was already laid down in the roadmap on the use of national ships (cabotage) involving 13 ministers.


The road map was drawn up on the basis of presidential instruction No 5/2005 on the empowerment of the national shipping industry, while the 13 ministers were coordinating minister of the economy, national development planning minister, transportation minister, finance minister, home minister, trade minister, industry minister, forestry minister, national education minister, energy and mineral resources minister, marine and fishery minister, state entreprices minister and cooperatives minister.


"The decision also applies to all district heads, mayors and governors," he said.


To become host in one`s own country, all sides need to support and include the cabotage principles without exception of business players and a number of members of the Indonesian community.


Cabotage principles are a must considering that there is a sanction in the case of a violation.


To smoothen the application of the decision, he added, the government had increased the empowerment of the national shipping industry among others by providing financial, taxation and fuel supply facilities.


In view of national shipping industry empowerment, he said, the step taken by the government was establishing an integrated shipping industry and an incentive for companies wishing to build and repair own ships.


Chairman of the Indonesian National Shipowners Association`s container transport affairs Asmari Herry said the decision had actually expanded the national shipping market.


"One of the indications was that the growth of the national ships reached only 29.9 percent from 2005 to 2008, so that the use of foreign vessels continued to decline," he said.


The number of national vessels now reached 7,846 units, he said.


Indonesia, India to intensify security precautions in Andaman Waters

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and India will intensify security in Andaman`s territorial waters in anticipation of security disturbances in the region.


Spokesman for the Military (TNI) headquarters in Jakarta Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said here on Thursday that by doing so, all kinds of threats including those posed by the entry of Tamil Tiger rebels into Indonesia could be prevented.


"Till now, the security situation in the Andaman sea is still conducive, as no Tamil tiger rebels had entered Indonesia thanks to regular joint patrols in the waters," he said.


Code-named Indindocorpat, the joint patrol was held twice a year under a protocol signed by the navies of the two countries.


The first Indindocorpat was held in September 2002 and at least nine joint patrols had been conducted by the two countries.


According to the two sides, the patrol was proven to have benefited the two countries in dealing with piracy, smuggling, territorial transgression and inter-state crime in the Andaman sea.


Earlier, Indonesia pledged to the Sri Lankan government that its territory would not be used by Tamil tiger rebels.


The guaranty was conveyed by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda during his visit to Sri Lanka on March 29-30, 2009.


A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Teuku Faizasyah during a meeting in Grosvenor House of JW Marriot Hotel in London on Tuesday said that so far there was no precedence or report on activities of Tamil tigers in Indonesia.


However, the Sri Lankan government asked Indonesia to prevent the Tamil tiger fighters to enter its territory for military training purposes.


Thursday, April 2, 2009

IOTC to impose mandatory certification for tuna products

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/02/2009 3:17 PM


The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) plans to impose a mandatory product certification system on its member countries to certify that their tuna products are not caught using illegal practices, before being exported.


The plan was proposed on Wednesday during the third day of the commission's 13th annual meeting in Bali, Indonesia representative Saut Hutagalung said Wednesday.


Tuna products that fail to show the certificate will be prohibited from entering other member countries' markets, Saut says.


"The new regulation aims to reduce the practice of illegal fishing among member countries and also to make sure that the *tuna* capturing system will not affect other species like sharks, sea turtles and sea wolves, which have become endangered species," he said.


The certificate will contain and verify information submitted by fishermen and traders before exporting the fish, specifying the type of fishing boat used when capturing the fish, the fishing equipment used, areas fished and the dates of catches, according to Suseno Sukoyono, who heads the Indonesian delegation to IOTC, which ends on April 3.


No timetable has been set for the new regulations to be introduced, but Saut expects the new regulation imposing a catch documentation requirement in respect of big-eye tuna to be effective starting 2010. Big-eye tuna are amongst the tuna species most threatened by over-fishing.


Saut says that the product certification requirement was initially proposed by the European Union (EU) countries, which since 2008 have required fish product certification for all fish products entering EU member state markets.


"They want a similar system to be applied within IOTC member countries," Saut says.


The certification system maybe one of the platforms strengthening IOTC prior to applying mandatory trade sanctions against illegal fishing practices by its members.


IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi said on Monday that the commission was considering applying trade sanctions, under which member countries would be prevented from receiving any tuna products if the country would be involved in any irresponsible fishing practices.



NTT appeals for support for new wonder

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang | Thu, 04/02/2009 3:16 PM

The East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration has called on the international community to support its bid to include the Komodo National Park in West Manggarai as one of the new seven wonders of the world.

East Nusa Tenggara Governor Frans Leburaya raised the matter in Kupang on Wednesday in response to the polling results released by the www.new7wonder.com website, which showed Komodo National Park had dropped from 12th to 15th in the third week of March.

"The drop to 15th place shows the struggle is still on to prove that Komodo National Park, which is rich in natural resources and home to the rare Komodo dragon, should be recognized as one of the new seven wonders of the world," said Leburaya.

Those wishing to support the national park can do so via the website.

"We need to coordinate with groups that can potentially offer support for our cause, such as schools, universities, businesses and stakeholders in tourism, be it through direct campaigns or pamphlets promoting the national park," said Leburaya.

The poll results, he said, would determine whether or not the judges will select Komodo National Park as one of the new wonders of the world.

"Last year, Borobudur Temple failed to be included as a world wonder due to the lack of support from both Indonesian and international communities," said Leburaya.

Most of East Nusa Tenggara, he said, contained huge amounts of tourist potential.

"The Komodo National Park and Kelimutu Lake, in terms of natural resources and rich environments, are second to none. The province also has vast marine tourism potential given the fact its sea area is four times that of its land area," he said.

Another unique cultural experience available in the area is the whale-hunting tradition of the Lamalera community in Flores.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Indonesia`s fish exports projected at four million tons

Bengkulu, (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has projected its fish exports at four million tons worth USD 2.8 billion this year.


Director General of Fish Management and Marketing at the Marine and Fishery Ministry Prof Martani Husainai said here on Tuesday that the projection was little bit higher than last year`s USD2.6 billion.


"While Indonesian`s fish consumption was still high, production capacity reached only four million tons per year," he said.


Furthermore, Martani said till now the United States is still the biggest destination of Indonesia`s fish exports, followed by Japan and the European Union.


According to him, the lack of facilities and infrastructure for fish catching and processing in some regions had caused Indonesia`s fish production to be low, while Indonesia`s waters are still abundant with fish.


"Bengkulu`s waters for instance, are abundant in fish, but it still lacked the infrastructure," he said.


In the western region, West Sumatra province was the biggest producer of special fishes such as Tuna, and according to him this condition should be used by Bengkulu to cooperate in a bid to increase the fish production.


In the meantime, head of the marine and fishery representative office in Bengkulu, Maman Suherman said his side was building a national fish port in Bengkulu to make use of the existing fish potentials in that waters.


RI against IOTC plan to separate from FAO

Ika Krismantari, THE JAKARTA POST, BALI | Wed, 04/01/2009 12:10 PM


Indonesia is against a plan from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to separate from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN.


Indonesia’s representative at the 13th annual meeting of the IOTC currently underway in Bali, Nilanto Prabowo, said the organization’s status should remain as it is, which is under the auspices of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), since separation might lead to increased control of the organization by the bigger developed nations.


“We have the interest to retain IOTC’s position under FAO, as the UN organization cares about the existence of the developing countries in the commission,” he said.


IOTC was established in 1996 as an intergovernmental organization under a UN convention.


It has 28 members including Australia, the UK, Japan and the EU representing the interests of developed UN member states, while Indonesia, Iran and India are among those representing developing ones.


Nilanto also said that there were concerns on the part of developing countries about the possibility of changes in the IOTC system should the IOTC split from the FAO.


The IOTC could become a more market-oriented organization with major countries and interests taking control of the commission, Nilanto said, circumstances that could put the tuna industry in developing countries at risk, as they did not have the capacity for full-blown competition with larger competitors.


The proposal to separate from FAO has so far secured the backing of countries like Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but opposition from many developing nations.


Nilanto said China, Iran and India shared the Indonesian position.


This proposal, to leave the FAO, first originated from a recommendation by an independent panel of IOTC, as it saw the management of the commission as too dominated by the UN’s complex bureaucratic system, making it less efficient and often less transparent.


IOTC executive secretary Alexandro Anganuzzi acknowledged the wide difference in opinions between the groups for and against change.


“It is very premature for us to say [about the outcome to separate or not], it will be up to members to do what they want,” he said.


IOTC’s main objective is to promote cooperation among its members to ensure the conservation and optimum utilization of tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean region.


It is holding its 13th annual meeting in Bali from March 30 until April 3 to discuss these issues.


Indonesia, which is the largest tuna producer in the Southeast Asia region, only recently joined the IOTC as a full member in 2007, after previously serving as a cooperating non-contracting party.


In 2008, Indonesia produced 937,000 tons of fish, including 125,933 tons of tuna. The year before, it produced 892,000 tons of fish, including 121,316 tons of tuna.


The country has said earlier in the meeting that it would propose an additional 500 tuna fishing boats to be added to its existing fleet of 874 tuna fishing vessels.