RI, Australia sign fishery agreement

Nusa Dua, Bali, (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime and fishery issues here on Friday evening.

The agreement covers four main sub-areas, namely illegal fishing handling, fishery management, partnership and bilateral cooperation and the MoU Box.

The document was signed by Suseno Sukoyono, an expert staff of the Indonesian minister of fishery and marine resources, and Craig Burns, executive manager of the Australian department of agriculture, fishery and forestry.

The term MOU Box, used since 1974, refers to a sea area located south of a group of isles around Dana and Rote islands in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara that borders with Australia`s sea territory.

"This was a big leap forward in our relations with Australia with regard to the handling of the two countries` maritime problems. We have now been, according to my term, "in one frequency", " Sukoyono said.

He said several significant leaps had been made in relations with that country. "We have improved our understanding on common capacity building. As we are connected by water we have common interest with regard to optimizing marine potentials. This is very important," he said.

As a result of the common understanding the number of illegal fishing cases has dropped from year to year, he said.

On the case of traditional fishing on the sea border, he said, Australia had been willing to understand it more as part of social and cultural traditions of the Indonesian coastal communities.

"They are willing to understand it. We have had a common understanding regarding cases that appear actually and suddenly. We will remind each other and would avoid unilateral actions in dealing with them," he said.

Craig Burns meanwhile said "progress over supply management and extension of assistence with regard to implementing the agreement has been made. As an example he said based on the MOU Box management of traditional fishing would be done only after joint research.

On the question of traditional fishing, he said Australia was willing to give its understanding. "Therefore, this agreement and understanding are very important. The road map for implementing the agreement will be made soon such on joint research of supply of fish and marine resources in the sea. Monitoring will also be done jointly," he said.