A Drop in the Ocean

FIVE vessels owned by Sumber Haslindo can be seen at the Nizam Zachman Ocean Fishing Port, Muara Baru, in North Jakarta. Sections of the hulls are rust-riddled. Imported from Japan, the vessels are specially designed for catching tuna on the open sea with longline rigs. Ever since the price of diesel went up, the operating costs for such systems have gone up too, compelling businessmen to replace longlines with nets.

Before such repairs on the vessels owned by Haslindo could be completed, however, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti issued a moratorium on the licensing of ex-foreign-owned vessels, just a week after she was sworn in. "Since then all these ships have been stuck in the port," said Muhammad Bilahmar, Indonesian Tuna Association's head of legal affairs and advocacy.