Indonesian poachers entering PNG despite lockdown

INDONESIAN poachers are still entering PNG illegally to poach jewfish despite the Government’s stringent Covid-19 operations along the border to stop illegal crossing, acting South Fly police commander Insp Soiwa Ricker says.
“The poachers will not stop because they still need money and so too the villagers,” he said.
“So illegal trading is still going on. Afterall, jewfish maus (bladders), locally called gulama, is a delicacy in Indonesian restaurants in Merauke City and fetches about US$400 per kg (K1,373.5).
“And so they are still entering South Fly district in Western province through sea by coming in high-powered speedboats and they go as far as Kikori district in the Gulf province.
“They go right out to the sea and run parallel to the PNG-Indonesian-Australian maritime border and then come back to the coastal villages along the local level government and also along the Fly River villages all the way to Suki.
“We are still waiting for the PNG Defence Force and police patrol boats to come here to patrol the seas.”
Insp Ricker said he had his operation plan in place but there was no funding.
“We have not received any funds from the Covid-19 state of emergency operations centre to conduct operations in the district.
“We now have 16 PNGDF soldiers and 40 members of the police mobile squad here in Daru.
“But we have no funds to hire dinghies and buy fuel to deploy them to Torrasi, Bula and Suki.
“These areas are hotspots for Indonesian poachers.
“We also have no funds to buy their food rations and travelling allowances. Now they are here in Daru and I don’t know who is looking after them.”