Source & Author: Jakarta Globe
Indonesia and Norway have agreed to work together to combat fisheries crime, marine pollution and blue carbon, and to preserve the health of the world’s ocean.
During a bilateral meeting on Monday (05/06) between Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and Norwegian Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen, Norway agreed to assist Indonesia in capacity-building and educational efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In the meeting Susi also expressed her hope that Norway, Interpol and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will continue assisting Indonesia to fight IUU.
Norway is an important partner for Indonesia to remind the world about the urgency of the fight against illegal fishing, especially in Europe.
The Scandinavian country is known for its environmentally-friendly policies, and has previously offered support for Indonesia to stop forest fires.
According to Susi, Norway is on the same page with Indonesia when it comes to IUU fishing, considering it as a gateway to even heavier crimes such as drug and animal trafficking as well as modern slavery.
Indonesia hopes Norway will be bold and engage in real action to combat illegal fishing.
Susi said the international community has begun to show more concerns for the state of the ocean, particularly through the relevant United Nations agencies.
“They are beginning to wake up to the fact that the ocean makes up 70 percent of our world. When the deep ocean is disrupted or damaged, the effect will be felt in other parts of the world,” Susi said in a statement on Monday.