Jakarta, 20 July 2026 – The Government of Indonesia is expected to give greater attention to strengthening the national maritime security system, particularly in responding to a various anomalies that have the potential to undermine Indonesia’s maritime security, including marine pollution, illegal fishing by foreign vessels and the monitoring of the deployment and use of marine research and survey equipment. These were among the key issues highlighted during the Public Discussion on Maritime Security, which presented the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Report for the period of October 2025 – April 2026, organized by the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), in Jakarta on 7 July 2026.
The discussion featured responses from Colonel (Navy) Wahid Ismanto, S.T., M.Si., Head of the Defense Strategy Division under the Deputy for National Defense Coordination and National Unity, Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam); and Mila Kencana, S.IP., M.A., Director of Research and Innovation Licensing Governance and Scientific Authority, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The report was presented by Imam Prakoso, Senior Analyst at IOJI; and Laura Adibunga Nindya, Program Officer at IOJI; with Andreas Aditya Salim, Co-founder and Program Director of IOJI, serving as moderator.
The MDA Report for October 2025 – April 2026 highlights four key findings:
A possible connection between an underwater sensor discovered by fishermen off Lombok on April 6, 2026, and a licensed seismic survey conducted in 2024 by the foreign seismic survey vessel Hai Yang Shi You 718.
A potential link between January 2026 oil sludge pollution along the eastern coast of Bintan Island and three Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) vessels suspected of Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals spoofing under flags of convenience.
Minimal interference from foreign government vessels during offshore oil and gas seismic surveys in the Tuna Block, North Natuna Sea, from 20 March to 10 April 2026, indicating a positive trend.
A significant number of vessels operating without AIS were reasonably suspected of using the destructive pair trawl fishing gear in the North Natuna Sea on 20 April 2026.
A potential link between an underwater sensor discovered by fishermen off Lombok on 6 April2026 and a licensed seismic survey conducted by the foreign seismic survey vessel Hai Yang Shi You 718 in 2024.
Marine Pollution off Eastern Bintan Island and AIS Spoofing by Three Foreign-Flagged VLCCs
AIS data and Sentinel-1 satellite imagery indicates a potential link between marine pollution along the eastern coast of Bintan Island in January 2026 and the activities of three VLCC: Stellar Beverly (IMO 9208069, now reportedly renamed ‘Serica’ and registered under the Guyanese flag), Vieira (IMO 9234654, most recently registered under the Vanuatu flag), and Orleans Hawk (IMO 9178329, registered in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania).
AIS data indicate that the three vessels were located in waters east of Bintan Island on 3 January (Stellar Beverly), 18 January and 29 March (Orleans Hawk), and 24 January 2026 (Vieira). However, Sentinel-1 satellite imagery did not detect any vessels at the coordinates where AIS signals were transmitted for Vieira and Orleans Hawk. No satellite imagery was available at the time where Stellar Beverly was reportedly operating in the waters east of Bintan island.This discrepancy provides strong indications of AIS spoofing.
Among the three vessels, Vieira was operating closest in time to the discovery of bags of oil sludge that washed ashore along Bintan’s eastern coastline. Prior to its arrival in location on 24 January2026, the vessel was also observed sailing in close proximity to the tank-cleaning vessel NOC 7, owned by a Singapore-based tank cleaning service provider. These observations indicate a likely connection between the activities of Vieira and the oil sludge pollution discovered along Bintan’s coast.
“Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 18 of 2022 requires foreign vessels operating in Indonesian waters to keep their AIS activated and transmit accurate information. Providing false AIS information is subject to an administrative fine of IDR 75 million,” explained Laura Adibunga Nindya.
She further encouraged the government’s joint task force to investigate the alleged illegal dumping by Vieira. Under Article 4 and Annex I of the London Convention, as well as theGovernment Regulation No. 22 of 2021, the dumping of oil sludge at sea is prohibited as it is classified asCategory 1 Hazardous and Toxic Waste (B3 Waste), defined as “waste that poses immediate and acute impacts to human health and is certain to have adverse effects on the environmental.” Under Article 98(2) of theEnvironmental Protection and Management Law, marine pollution of this nature is punishable by a maximum of 12 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of IDR 12 billion.
Addressing the government’s role, Colonel (Navy) Wahid Ismanto stated, “The Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs is strengthening cross-sector maritime security governance, including through the Forum for Maritime Security, Safety, and Law Enforcement in Indonesian Waters and Jurisdiction (Forum KKPH).”
He added, “Marine pollution is a shared concern as its severe impacts on coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea. We continue to face challenges, particularly in identifying those responsible. Nevertheless, mitigation and monitoring efforts continue to be strengthened through improved analytical capacity, technology-based monitoring, and inter-agency cooperation to support law enforcement.”
Marine Survey Activities in the North Natuna Sea and China’s Response
Between 20 March and 10 April 2026, two Indonesian-flagged vessels, SS Barakuda (IMO 8122115) and Voyage Explorer (IMO 9319052), conducted offshore oil and gas seismic surveys in the North Natuna Sea under the escort of KRI Pattimura and KRI Teuku Umar. Survey operations were continued by the research vessel AG Geodrill on 28 April \ 2026. These activities took place within Indonesia’s East Natuna Block, located in Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
IOJI’s monitoring indicates that, betweenApril andMay 2026, the Chinese Government deployed China Coast Guard 5302 (MMSI 413875415) and China Coast Guard 5303 (MMSI 412005303) to the waters surrounding the survey area. However, neither vessel approached nor interfered with Indonesian survey operations.
Responding to these findings, Imam Prakoso stated, “This is a different trend, demonstrating the need for consistent Indonesian Navy’s presence in escorting marine survey activities in the North Natuna Sea. This is the right approach and should be maintained.”
Illegal Fishing in the North Natuna Sea
Based on satellite imagery, IOJI detected 48 vessels operating in pairs and moving in the same direction in the North Natuna Sea on 20 April 2026. Given these vessels were not transmitting AIS signals, satellite imagery became the primary means of detection. The imagery strongly indicates the use of pair trawl fishing gear, a destructive fishing method commonly associated with Vietnamese fishing vessels.
Satellite analysis also showed KRI Pattimura operating near the location of the 48 suspected fishing vessels on 23 April2026. However, there have been no public reports regarding the enforcement against any foreign fishing vessels during that operation.
According to Wahid Ismanto, illegal fishing continues to occur in the North Natuna Sea, largely related to the EEZ boundary between Indonesia and Vietnam, which remains a matter of concern for both governments. Discussions on the delimitation of the EEZ boundary are still ongoing. Nevertheless, strengthening maritime surveillance and law enforcement remains a priority to safeguard Indonesia’s sovereign rights over the natural resources within its EEZ.
Underwater Sensor Found in the Lombok Strait
On 6 April 2026, fishermen in Gili Trawangan discovered a torpedo-shaped object in the waters of the Lombok Strait. The object was reportedly transported to the Indonesian Navy Headquarters. As of this writing, the Indonesian Navy has not issued an official statement regarding the results of its examination.
Initial analysis suggests that the object is an underwater sensor. Some experts believe it may have been a moored underwater sensor, permanently anchored to the seabed, while others suggest it may have been a side scan sonar towed behind a vessel. However, side scan sonar systems are typically not designed to remain underwater for a long time, resulting in being covered with algae and barnacles, as observed on the discovered object.
If the object was indeed a moored sensor, it must have been deployed by a vessel with specific operational capabilities. AIS records indicate that the foreign survey vessel Hai Yang Shi You 718 operated near the Lombok Strait in February 2024. PT TGS operated the vessel under a General Survey Permit issued by Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
According to Mila Kencana, marine research and survey activities in Indonesia are divided into two categories, a) commercial survey activities, such as seismic surveys for upstream oil and gas exploration; and b) scientific research conducted for the advancement of knowledge.
Scientific marine research is governed by Law No. 11 of 2019, while commercial surveys follow sector-specific regulations. In the case of upstream oil and gas surveys, Minister of Transportation Regulation No. PM 2 of 2021 and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 7 of 2026 apply.
No publicly available documentation has yet been found to clarify whether the deployment of underwater sensors formed part of PT TGS’s seismic survey activities, or to explain the company’s responsibilities following the expiration of its survey permit. In principle, both the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources receive regular reports on seismic survey operations. However, it remains unclear whether information regarding underwater sensor deployment was included in those reports.
“Indonesia has significantly improved maritime domain awareness on the surface, particularly in surveillance vessels and objects transiting through Indonesia’s Archipelagic Sea Lanes. Nevertheless, Indonesia still needs to strengthen its underwater surveillance capabilities,” said Wahid Ismanto. He emphasized that underwater sensing technology is closely related to oceanographic research, whose data are strategically important from a military perspective, particularly for submarine operations.
IOJI’s Recommendations
Andreas Aditya Salim, Program Director of IOJI, stated that the challenges identified in surface and underwater surveillance and law enforcement, as revealed by the MDA Report for October 2025–April 2026, provide an important opportunity for Forum KKPH to demonstrate its effectiveness. “The Government should strengthen inter-agency coordination on data sharing and analytical capabilities through Forum KKPH,” he said.
He further emphasized that the Government should enforce administrative penalties against vessels engaged in AIS spoofing, conduct further investigations into the oil sludge pollution along Bintan’s coastline, consistently provide naval escorts for marine survey activities, increase vigilance over marine surveys involving foreign vessels and facilitate stronger national patrol operations in the North Natuna Sea.
IOJI has published its Maritime Domain Awareness Reports regularly since 2021. The reports are available at https://oceanjusticeinitiative.org/publications.
The Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Report for October 2025 – April 2026 can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/LaporanDeteksiIOJI_Okt25Apr26.
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Contact:
Communications Manager IOJI, Waraney Rawung, [email protected]