Editor’s note
- Lake Toba waters checked for illegal fishing
- Illegal fishing violates Ministerial Regulation 36/2023
- Illegal fishing undermines the sustainability of fish stocks
- 1,196 fishing permits
Lake Toba waters checked for illegal fishing
To prevent the increase in illegal fishing in Lake Toba, the Maritime and Fisheries Agency of North Sumatra (Sumut) is actively monitoring the area. This effort is being made to preserve native fish populations and protect the Lake Toba ecosystem.
“We immediately addressed this issue by deploying a team to monitor the shores of Lake Toba, together with relevant agencies in the Simalungun and Toba districts, and the Maritime and Fisheries Resources Monitoring Agency (PSDKP) of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries,” stated Supryanto, Head of the North Sumatra Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, during a press conference of the North Sumatra Communication and Information Agency in the Dekranasda lobby of the North Sumatra Governor’s Office on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Pora-pora fishery violates Ministerial Decree 36/2023
Based on field research, it has been found that the fishing activity violates Article 7 of Ministerial Decree 36 of 2023, which establishes the minimum mesh size of 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters. In the Simalungun district, specifically in Pematang Sidamanik, fishing was carried out using floating scoop nets and bubu (traps) with a mesh size of 0.5 centimeters, which does not comply with regulations.
In the Toba district, specifically in Ajibata, at the river mouth—a spawning ground for fish—on the other hand, fishing was carried out using nets of 1.5 centimeters.
“The fish that may be caught must be sexually mature, with a minimum length of 10 cm or 100 mm. Fish smaller than 10 cm may not be caught, because they are still considered juveniles,” he said.
Fishing undermines the sustainability of fish stocks
He explained that Article 8 of Law No. 31 of 2004, in conjunction with Law No. 45 of 2009 concerning fisheries, expressly prohibits the use of materials, tools, or fishing methods that harm the sustainability of fish stocks. Moreover, Government Regulation No. 60 of 2007 on the conservation of fish stocks stipulates that catching fish that are not yet fit for fishing can be considered a violation of conservation principles.
“If fishing is carried out in violation of the regulations, it leads to a decline in fish populations, disruption of the regeneration process, a decline in fish stocks in the future, and overfishing, which will also disrupt the balance of the lake’s ecosystem,” he explained.
In addition to monitoring the waters of Lake Toba, the North Sumatra Maritime and Fisheries Agency also implements control measures by disseminating laws and regulations to the public. The agency is currently reviewing the regulations regarding pora-pora fishing in Lake Toba.
“We will first review the regulations to see if a circular or a governor’s decree will suffice,” said Supryanto.
1,196 catch fishing licenses
On the same occasion, Jenny Masniari, Head of the Catch Fishing Department, stated that based on data from the Electronic Integrated Enterprise Licensing System (OSS), a total of 1,533 licenses were issued for the maritime and fisheries sector from January 1, 2025, to March 2, 2026.
This number consists of 18 processing licenses, 1,196 catch fishing licenses, and 319 other licenses in the form of administrative SIUP amendments.
“Last year, we made recommendations for 1,196 catch fishing licenses. These license amendments do not require a recommendation from us; they can be processed directly through the office of the North Sumatra Investment and Integrated Licensing Service. So, last year there were 319 administrative SIUP amendments,” stated Jenny. ***obs
