Indonesia to Ask UN Support to Categorize Illegal Fishing as Transnational Crime
Jakarta. Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said on Saturday (06/05) that she will ask the United Nations to support efforts to categorize illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as a transnational crime.
"Distinguishing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as a transnational crime will make it easier for countries to coordinate in combating illegal fishing," Susi said during a seminar at the Muhammadiyah University in Yogyakarta.
She said Peter Thomson, president of the UN General Assembly, has helped to coordinate and facilitate a side event where Indonesia will raise the issue of illegal fishing and ask the world body's support to declare it a transnational crime.
Similar to cases of terrorism, illegal fishing can be addressed through cooperation between countries once it is declared a transnational crime.
"The perpetrators of illegal fishing are transnational, they use the ships, crews and flags of different countries," Susi said.
She added that illegal fishing often involves other crimes, such as smuggling, slavery and human trafficking. Furthermore, the initiative to categorize illegal fishing as a transnational crime has been supported by fellow member states, including Norway and Papua New Guinea.
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