Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries submitted to parliament a bill of amendments aimed at strengthening the 2009 Fisheries Act through more stringent provisions, reported Mongabay. Among other things, the amendments include bans on foreign fishing vessels and crews, the transshipment of fish catches between vessels at sea, and foreign investment in the capture fisheries sector. The Ministry is also seeking authority for law enforcement agencies to burn and sink boats caught in the act of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing without having to wait for a guilty verdict from a court, as is currently required. The provisions would also recognize the criminal culpability of the owners of vessels engaged in illegal fishing activities. While legal experts and sustainable-fishing activists have welcomed the bill, concerns remain over the less-than-clear language of some of the provisions. The government expects the bill to be passed this year, and says it will bring much-needed transparency to the fisheries industry. For the full story, see https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/indonesia-targets-illegal-fishing-vessel-owners-under-new-bill/.