Civil Coalition Urges Jokowi to Replace Edhy Prabowo

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to dismiss or replace Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo as the latter’s policy on lobster exports was considered problematic.

The coalition’s sec-gen, Susan Herawati, said Edhy's performance was not oriented towards the interests of fishers, but rather businessmen and politicians.

“Edhy Prabowo is no longer worthy of sitting on the chair of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister because he does not work for the people’s interests, especially lobster fishermen. He must be repositioned and replaced by a minister who is concerned about Indonesian fishers,” said Susan in her statement, Monday, July 6.

According to her, KIARA has lambasted the Ministerial Regulation No. 12/2020 concerning the export of lobster hatchlings because, during the bill deliberations, the regulator did not involve fishers.

The ministry was also deemed intransparent about export companies that were granted the export permits. Moreover, it was discovered that a number of politicians are behind the export companies.

At the same time, she went on, Edhy frequently argued that the policy was issued for the public's welfare, especially lobster fishers. “The claim that the welfare of fishers will improve after the export is allowed is denied because the parties who reaps benefits from this policy are companies and politicians behind it,” Susan underlined.

Read: Edhy Prabowo Sheds Lights on Policies on Lobsters, Cantrang

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA