Executive Summary

Key insights and market outlook

The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has successfully foiled massive illegal fish imports, seizing nearly 100 tons of frozen salem fish worth millions of dollars. The illegal shipment, imported by PT CBJ, lacked proper import approval and quota allocation ¹

⁴. The ministry uncovered a deliberate miscalculation of import quotas by the company, revealing a sophisticated smuggling operation ⁴.

Full Analysis

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Deep Dive Analysis

Indonesia Cracks Down on Illegal Fish Imports

Major Seizure of Frozen Salem Fish

The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has made a significant enforcement action against illegal fishing imports, seizing 99.972 tons of frozen salem fish at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta ¹

. The shipment, imported by PT CBJ, was found to be operating without proper import approval and quota allocation, violating Indonesian fisheries regulations.

Modus Operandi Uncovered

Investigations revealed that the company had been granted an initial import quota of 100 tons for 2025, which was later increased by 50 tons. However, the importer misinterpreted the additional allocation as a new separate quota, resulting in a total claimed import capacity of 250 tons - far exceeding their actual approved limit ⁴

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Enforcement Actions and Statistics

This major seizure is part of a broader crackdown on illegal fishing activities. In 2025, the KKP also foiled the smuggling of 1.314 million lobster seeds and 5,400 turtle eggs in separate operations ³

. The ministry has been working to strengthen surveillance through both physical inspections and digital monitoring, including collaboration with e-commerce platforms to prevent illegal trade ³.

References