REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PONTIANAK - The naval base in the West Kalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak would be promoted to a naval main base, National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief General Moeldoko said.

"The plan to promote the naval base to a naval main base has been incorporated in the strategic plan, but I do not recollect whether the plan will be realized in 2015 or 2016," he stated during his working visit on Thursday.

Moeldoko has forecasted that the security situation in the South China Sea will fluctuate.

"If the security situation in the South China Sea is unstable any time in the future, the surrounding areas will not be secure. If that happens, (the naval bases) in West Kalimantan and Riau need to be evaluated to promote them to higher level," he pointed out.

According to the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the West Kalimantan waters are one of the countrys three areas that are highly prone to illegal fishing because the waters are rich in fish and other marine resources.

The West Kalimantan waters belong to Zone III, along with Natuna, Karimata, and South China Sea. The waters are home to several varieties of fish, including tuna and tenggiri (the Spanish mackerel). 

The waters cover an area of 26 thousand square kilometers including 2,004 thousand hectares of public waters and 26.7 thousand hectares of fish farming.

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