Indonesian Navy Dismantles 20 Kilometers of Sea Fence in Tangerang Waters

TheIndonesia.id - Admiral Muhammad Ali, the Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff, announced that the Navy has successfully removed 20 kilometers of a sea fence in the northern coastal waters of Tangerang, Banten, part of a larger 30.16-kilometer stretch.

According to Antara News Agency, the operation has primarily targeted areas restricting access to fishermen, ensuring they can go about their work without incurring extra fuel costs.

"Our priority is to restore fishermen's access to the sea," Admiral Ali said at a press conference on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

Although the dismantling operation faced delays due to adverse weather conditions, it is set to resume once the weather improves. "Bad weather poses risks to both our personnel and the fishermen," Ali explained.

This initiative follows a statement from Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, who expressed his goal to resolve the sea fence issue within a week back in January 2025. He emphasized that using marine space without proper permits for its utilization is a violation of regulations.

Eli Susiyanti, Head of the Banten Province Marine Affairs and Fisheries Service, also commented on the negative impact of the sea fence, which has affected thousands of local fishermen and fish farmers. Reports about the fence began arriving in June 2024, prompting an inspection in September 2024.

In January 2025, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries sealed the controversial sea fence, which spans 16 villages across six sub-districts, after the government and public expressed concerns about its presence. Under President Prabowo Subianto's order, the Indonesian Navy commenced the dismantling process on January 19.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) revealed that the sea fence encroaches upon 263 parcels of submerged land with ownership certificates, held by PT Intan Agung Makmur and PT Cahaya Inti Sentosa, subsidiaries of the Agung Sedayu Group, a developer behind the Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 satellite city.

On January 24, ATR Minister Nusron Wahid announced the cancellation of at least 50 of these certificates, with the rest still under review.