R. Kurniaty, Ikaningtyas, P.A. Ruslijanto
This paper examines the boundary tension between Indonesia and China regarding traditional fishing ground in Natuna. Indonesia's Natuna island is claimed by the China government as its traditional fishing zone/ground. The inclusion of Natuna territory into China's traditional fishing zone brings new problems to Indonesia, especially with the Chinese ships docked and entered Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, as well as several cases of illegal fishing over the territorial waters of Indonesia. Claims on traditional fishing zones have the potential to threaten the sovereignty of the Indonesian territory. This study aims to analyze the claims of the traditional fishing rights of China over the waters of the Natuna Islands under international law, especially UNCLOS 1982. This study revealed that the china's argument of traditional fishing ground in Natuna to the nine dash line map is a unilateral claim, there is no international legal norm that can be used as the legal basis. Indonesia and some ASEAN countries have Internationally validated bilateral agreement on the continental shelf (i.e. Indonesia-Vietnam and Indonesia-Malaysia) thus the inclusion of Natuna into China's nine dash line map rejects the legal status of Indonesian water under UNCLOS 1982. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.
International Law Department-Faculty of Law, Brawijaya University, Jl. MT. Haryono, Malang, 169, Indonesia; Coastal and Marine Research Center, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
