NAVY DEPLOYING FIVE WARSHIPS TO SAFEGUARD NATUNA

Pontianak, W Kalimantan, Oct 20 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) is deploying five warships and one reconnaissance plane to protect the Natuna waters from fish thefts, a spokesman said.

"The five warships and reconnaissance plane have conducted routine patrols in the Natuna waters as part of efforts to reduce the number of fish thefts," Commander of the Main Naval Base IV Commodore S.M. Darojatim said here on Tuesday.

He said the Navy would always conduct routine patrols although the waters bordering neighboring states were conducive in general.

The Main Naval Base IV oversaw Pontianak, Ranai and Terempa naval bases as well as a number of TNI AL command posts, he said.

He said the Natuna waters and the South China Sea were vulnerable to a number of criminal offences, including fish and coral reef thefts.

"The Pontianak naval base has so far secured the West Kalimantan waters well so that it sets a good example to other naval bases to safeguard the Indonesian waters," he said.

He said the Pontianak naval base's operational area was one of the highly vulnerable waters and therefore, in the future it would become one of the choices to develop a sea defense zone in the western part of the country.

"Therefore, the Pontianak naval base is required to be proactive in empowering all its capacities to perform its future duties," he said.

The post of the Pontianak naval base commander was very strategic because the naval base was the backbone of the main naval base IV to safeguard its defense area, he said.
Col. Parno, the newly-appointed chief of the Pontianak naval base, said he was ready to protect the West Kalimantan waters against fish thefts and other illegal activities.

"In the near future, I will coordinate with the TNI AL staff in Pontianak to identify problems we have to solve immediately," he said. ***1***