JAKARTA, March 20 – Indonesia is to ban shark and manta ray hunting following the banning of the activity by a provincial administration in West Papua to conserve these sea creatures. Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said his ministry was preparing a ministerial decree to ban shark hunting, which is expected to be ready in three months.
He praised the Raja Ampat administration in West Papua for taking a major leap in fighting shark hunting by issuing a regulation banning shark and manta ray hunting.
“I really hope that the action of the Raja Ampat administration will encourage other regions to follow suit, especially areas like East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), where sharks remain under threat,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the English daily, The Jakarta Post, Wednesday.
Shark hunting in waters off the eastern part of Indonesia, including the provinces of NTT, NTB, West Papua and Papua, as well as Maluku, was still taking place at an alarming rate, the minister said.
“Sharks are at the top of the food chain, and their extinction could cause serious damage to our ecosystem,” he said.
BERNAMA
