By MarEx 2015-08-11 13:43:21
Indonesia demands its sovereign waters be respected. The country, which is celebrating its 70th year of independence plans to make a statement by sinking 70 vessels captured in poaching in its waters.
Indonesian Navy will sink the 70 vessels on August 17th as the nation celebrates. It will be the largest public vessel sinking. In May, the government sank 41 vessel caught poaching. Indonesia caught 92 foreign vessels since January. The mass sinking included a Chinese vessel as well.
The country’s President Joko Widodo, who was elected last year, is taking issue with illegal poaching and fishing in the nation’s waters. Widodo instituted Sink The Vessels policy soon after his election saying Jakarta would no longer tolerate the invasion of more than 5,000 ships illegally operating in its territorial waters, which is estimated to cost the national about $20 billion.
Indonesia has the approval of the United Nations to sink foreign poachers under the Law of the Sea, but also has the right to manage its sovereignty waters. Indonesia has been asserting its leaderships in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
This post was sourced from Maritime Executive: View original article here.
