Joint patrol in Sawu Sea Marine Park finds unlicensed fishing vessels
A joint patrol by fisheries surveillance and marine conservation officers in the Sawu Sea Marine National Park in April 2018 found small fishing vessels operating without complete permits and responded with administrative guidance rather…
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 4 min read
Kupang — — A joint patrol by the Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance (PSDKP) station and the National Marine Conservation Area Office (BKKPN) in Nusa Tenggara Timur inspected fishing vessels in and around the Sawu Sea Marine National Park and found boats operating without proper permits, according to a 2018 patrol account and a contemporaneous Indonesian media report.
The operation was reported as taking place from Monday, 21 April to Wednesday, 23 April 2018, using the fisheries patrol vessel Hiu Macan 03 and focusing on waters within the Sawu Sea Marine National Park in Nusa Tenggara Timur, including areas frequented by small-scale fishers.
Patrol route and inspections
According to an Indonesian news report on surveillance operations in the Sawu Sea Marine National Park, PSDKP and BKKPN Kupang increased patrols in 2018 to deter illegal and destructive fishing and to ensure that activity in the park complied with conservation rules.
The joint patrol in April 2018 was described as covering several locations within the marine national park, with officers inspecting multiple fishing vessels encountered during the route. The account notes that the inspection team did not find hazardous materials such as explosives or poisons on board the vessels they checked.
However, the same report states that some of the vessels operating in the park did not possess the required licensing documents, such as fishing permits and vessel papers. In these cases, patrol officers responded with pembinaan — administrative guidance and corrective instruction — rather than immediate arrests or seizures.
Vessels without documents
The 2018 media account does not list individual vessel names, but it identifies the problem as involving small fishing boats working within or near the Sawu Sea Marine National Park without complete permits. The report says these vessels were inspected and then given guidance on complying with licensing requirements, reflecting an emphasis on education and gradual enforcement.
Annual performance reports from the Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance for 2018 support the picture of widespread inspections and some documented violations. The 2018 surveillance performance report records thousands of fishing vessels inspected nationwide and more than one hundred found to be in breach of regulations or non-compliant with licensing rules.
While this report does not detail the specific April 2018 patrol in Sawu Sea, it confirms that similar inspections routinely identified vessels without proper documentation and that follow-up actions ranged from guidance to formal legal proceedings.
Enforcement approach
The Indonesian media account emphasises that the Sawu Sea patrols in 2018 formed part of a continuing programme to strengthen oversight in the marine national park, combining sea-based patrols with aerial monitoring to detect illegal activities. It reports that surveillance officers examined gear and catches and checked permits, but did not find clear evidence of destructive fishing during that particular operation.
In cases where vessels lacked documents, the patrol response was limited to administrative guidance, with officers explaining licensing obligations and the importance of complying with conservation rules within the park. National surveillance performance data for 2018 indicates that, across Indonesia, non-compliant vessels could face a range of actions, from written warnings and education to investigation and prosecution, depending on the severity and nature of the violation.
No confirmation of a 2026 patrol
The available government and media records consulted describe joint BKKPN–PSDKP patrols in the Sawu Sea Marine National Park in April 2018, but do not confirm a separate operation on 19 September 2026 or provide details of any recent patrol involving specific vessels named in the original draft.
Likewise, the sources reviewed do not document seizures, arrests or prosecutions directly linked to the April 2018 joint patrol in Sawu Sea, beyond noting the use of guidance for boats found without complete permits.
Sources
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