REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BENGKULU -- The National Presidium of Indonesian Women's Coalition (KPI) said Indonesian fishermen have not been able to exploit the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on limited fishing gears.
"Our fishermen have no adequate fishing gears that they could not operate in deep sea fishing ground," a KPI leader Bibik Nurudduja said here on Thursday.
Assistance from the government is only in the form of small boat of not more than 30 gross tons and they could not safely operate in open sea of EEZ, Bibik told a public dialog on draft law on protection and recruitment of fishermen.
"Most Indonesian fishermen could not even go as far as 200 miles from the coast with the equipment they have," she added.
Bengkulu KPI secretary Irna Riza Yuliastuti said the draft law should provide access for fishing women to decent life.