New Provisions on Business Licensing in the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sector under Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026

Introduction

On 12 October 2026, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries enacted Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 15 of 2026 on Business Activity Standards and/or Product/Service Standards for the Implementation of Risk-Based Business Licensing in the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sector (“Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026”). This Regulation establishes business activity standards as set out in Appendix I and product/service standards as set out in Appendix II for Business Licensing (Perizinan Berusaha or “PB”) and Business Licensing to Support Business Activities (Perizinan Berusaha untuk Menunjang Kegiatan Usaha or “PB UMKU”), all of which are implemented through the Online Single Submission (OSS) System. Its regulatory scope covers five business areas, namely marine space management, capture fisheries, fish farming, marine and fisheries product processing, and marine and fisheries product marketing.

The urgency of issuing Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026 stems from the need to align the technical standards for business licensing in the marine affairs and fisheries sector with Government Regulation Number 28 of 2025 on the Implementation of Risk-Based Business Licensing (“Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025”), particularly as a follow-up to Article 5 paragraph (7), Article 264, and Article 362 paragraph (2) of Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025. In addition, this Regulation consolidates various provisions previously dispersed across several ministerial regulations, including those governing capture fisheries businesses, fishing vessels, and quality certification. Through these provisions, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026 aims to provide uniform standards, limit fleet capacity to support the equitable utilisation of fish resources as stipulated in Article 15 paragraph (1), and clarify the mechanisms for supervision and the graduated imposition of sanctions.

Key Provisions

Requirement to Operate as a Legal Entity and Fleet Limits

Article 13 paragraph (1) of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026 stipulates that capture fisheries businesses using Fishing Vessels, Fish Carrier Vessels, and/or Fishing Operations Support Vessels with a cumulative vessel allocation of 300 gross tonnage (GT) or more may only be conducted by a corporation established as a legal entity. The cumulative tonnage is calculated based on the total vessel allocations under Business Licensing in the form of a fisheries business licence that fall within the authority of the Minister and/or governor, including where a business operator holds Business Licensing issued under both authorities. The calculation uses the upper limit of the applicable GT range, as provided for in Article 13 paragraphs (2) through (4).

In addition to requiring businesses to operate as corporations established as legal entities, Article 14 paragraph (1) limits the cumulative vessel allocation held by a corporation established as a legal entity to a maximum of 20,000 GT. This limit is calculated based on all vessel allocations under Business Licensing in the form of a fisheries business licence that fall within the authority of the Minister and/or governor, using the upper limit of the applicable GT range as provided for in Article 14 paragraphs (2) through (4).

Vessel Allocation and Fisheries Business Licences

Under Article 12 paragraph (2), small-, medium-, and large-scale fishing, fishing operations support, and/or fish transportation at sea are classified as high-risk activities and must therefore be covered by Business Licensing in the form of a fisheries business licence containing information on the business operator and vessel allocation, including the GT range, type of fishing gear (Alat Penangkapan Ikan or “API”), fishing grounds (Daerah Penangkapan Ikan or “DPI”), and base port. Additional vessel allocations may only be made if the business operator has utilised part or all of the existing allocation.

Article 22 paragraph (1) stipulates that unused allocations may be deleted without an application in the following circumstances:

• The allocation has not been utilised within 2 years of its initial issuance;

• The vessel has obtained a Fishing Vessel Book (Buku Kapal Perikanan or “BKP”) but has not obtained a Fishing Licence (Surat Izin Penangkapan Ikan or “SIPI”), Fish Carrier Vessel Licence (Surat Izin Kapal Pengangkut Ikan or “SIKPI”), or Fishing Operations Support Vessel Licence (Surat Izin Kapal Pengangkut dan/atau Pendukung Operasi Penangkapan Ikan or “SIKPOPI”) within 90 calendar days after the utilisation deadline;

• The licence has not been renewed for 2 consecutive years;

• The licence is revoked or the BKP is cancelled;

• The vessel is confiscated or destroyed pursuant to a court judgment; or

• The BKP is falsified.

If all allocations under a business licence have been exhausted, the business licence is revoked without an application, as provided for in Article 23.

Vessel Operating Licences (SIPI, SIKPI, SIKPOPI)

As a form of Business Licensing to Support Business Activities (PB UMKU), a vessel must hold an operating licence appropriate to its business activities, namely a SIPI, SIKPI, or SIKPOPI, as stipulated in Article 12 paragraph (4) of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026, as summarised in the following table:

Vessel Tonnage Limits and Fishing Grounds

Article 15 divides fishing grounds according to vessel size:

• Vessels of up to 5 GT may operate in inland waters or within a maximum distance of 12 nautical miles in their respective provincial waters.

• Vessels exceeding 5 GT and up to 30 GT may operate beyond 4 nautical miles.

• Vessels exceeding 30 GT may operate only beyond 12 nautical miles. Vessels exceeding 100 GT may operate only in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEEI) within specified Indonesian Fisheries Management Areas (Wilayah Pengelolaan Perikanan Negara Republik Indonesia or “WPPNRI”) and/or on the High Seas. Vessels exceeding 300 GT may operate only in the ZEEI within WPPNRI 571, 711, and/or 718, or in the ZEEI beyond 150 nautical miles within WPPNRI 572, 573, 716, 717, and/or on the High Seas.

In conservation areas, fishing vessels may not exceed 5 GT (Article 15 paragraph (5)).

For fish carrier vessels, Article 16 establishes tonnage limits based on the transport route. Fish transported from fishing grounds in the ZEEI or on the High Seas to domestic ports must be carried by vessels of at least 30 GT, whereas live farmed fish transported abroad must be carried by vessels not exceeding 500 GT. Article 18 limits transshipment operations to fish caught by a maximum of 100 fishing vessels for carrier vessels of up to 300 GT and 150 fishing vessels for carrier vessels exceeding 300 GT.

Vessel Procurement, Inspection, Seaworthiness, and Registration

Article 61 requires business operators intending to build, modify, import, or procure fishing vessels to first obtain Business Licensing in the form of a fisheries business licence and approval for vessel procurement. This requirement does not apply to vessels of up to 5 GT. Vessel construction abroad is permitted only for vessels exceeding 100 GT made of aluminium or vessels exceeding 150 GT made of steel. Each vessel must also hold a Fishing Vessel Seaworthiness Certificate (Sertifikat Kelaikan Kapal Perikanan) valid for 1 year. Seaworthiness covers seaworthiness for navigation, fitness for fishing operations, and fitness for storage.

The vessel must subsequently be registered and issued a BKP, which must be validated every 2 years. A vessel is removed from the Indonesian fishing vessel register, among other circumstances, if its licence is not renewed for 2 consecutive years or its BKP is cancelled. A vessel removed from the register pursuant to a court judgment ordering its destruction or because of BKP falsification may not be registered again. Vessels must also display identification markings in accordance with Articles 122 and 123.

RFMO Registration, Conservation, and Fish Aggregating Devices

Vessels intending to fish in the management areas of a Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) must first be registered in accordance with Articles 32 and 35. Articles 36 through 49 set out compliance obligations relating to RFMOs, including conservation measures for tuna bycatch, prohibitions on fishing on the High Seas during closed seasons or in closed areas, and the use of data buoys. The deployment of drifting and anchored fish aggregating devices is regulated under Article 50 and the subsequent provisions, with the SIPR serving as the required licence.

Marine Space Management

Business Licensing in this area covers the utilisation of protected fish species and/or species listed in the CITES Appendices, marine sand, salt production, the utilisation of seawater for purposes other than energy, the recovery of sunken ship cargo, and activities involving the utilisation of conservation areas, as provided for in Article 5. Article 7 stipulates that Business Licensing remains valid for as long as the business operator conducts the relevant activity, but expires if the activity is not carried out. For example, holders of licences for marine sand, salt, or seawater must conduct the relevant activities at least once every 12 months (Article 7 paragraphs (2) and (3)).

PB UMKU covering licences for buildings and installations at sea, marine biopharmacology and biotechnology, reclamation, and marine tourism have different validity periods. For example, a marine tourism licence is valid for 10 years, while a reclamation licence is valid for 5 years and may be extended once. According to Appendix I, activities involving CITES-listed species, marine sand, and the recovery of sunken ship cargo are classified as high-risk activities, whereas salt production and the utilisation of seawater for purposes other than energy are classified as low-risk activities at certain scales and require only a Business Identification Number (Nomor Induk Berusaha or “NIB”).

Fish Farming, Processing, Marketing, and Quality Control

Article 136 divides fish farming businesses into grow-out, hatchery, and service activities. Article 142 regulates processing businesses, including freezing, smoking, boiling and salting, and seaweed processing. Article 146 regulates marketing activities, including post-harvest services. Under Article 150, business operators in these fields must hold the relevant quality-related PB UMKU, comprising nine types of certificates: Good Fish Handling Practices (CPIB), Good Fish Farming Practices, Good Fish Hatchery Practices, CPPIB, CPOIB, CDOIB, Processing Feasibility Certificate (SKP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and SPDI. The distribution of fish feed and fish medicines also requires registration certificates. Registration certificates for fish feed and fish medicines are valid for 5 years and may be renewed by submitting an application no later than 6 months before expiry.

Sanctions and Administrative Remedies

Under Article 189, administrative sanctions comprise five types, each subject to different procedures and time limits for implementation, as summarised in the following table:

Administrative Remedies

Technical Provisions

The technical provisions for implementing this Regulation are further stipulated in its appendices, which form an integral part of this Ministerial Regulation.

Appendix I (Business Activity Standards) contains the Indonesian Standard Industrial Classification (KBLI) codes, scope, risk level, requirements, verification procedures, and obligations of business operators for each activity. Such obligations include, for example, reporting production or extraction volumes.

Appendix II (Product/Service Standards) sets out the standards for each licence, including licences for marine structures, reclamation, marine tourism, SIPI, SIKPI, SIKPOPI, and registration certificates for fish medicines and fish feed.

Appendix III contains the forms and formats of documents, including fish aggregating device identification markings, Measurement Certificates, Measurement Registers, and Fishing Vessel Books.

Appendix IV contains the format for the Self-Monitoring Inspection Report and the formats for the imposition of sanctions, such as suspension.

Transitional Provisions

Article 210 establishes transitional provisions for capture fisheries business licensing, including the obligation of individual business operators with a cumulative vessel allocation of at least 300 gross tonnage (GT) to convert their business form into a corporation established as a legal entity no later than 31 December 2029. During the adjustment process, business operators may continue conducting their business activities under their existing licences. The cumulative calculation of vessel allocations will take effect once it can be implemented through the OSS System, while the requirement to operate as a corporation for vessels covered by the accelerated licensing process under the Minister’s authority will take effect on 1 January 2030. The maximum allocation limit of 20,000 GT does not apply to business operators that obtained Business Licensing before this Regulation came into force. However, business operators whose allocations already exceed that limit may not increase their vessel allocations.

In addition, licences and licensing documents that have already been issued remain valid in accordance with their respective validity periods. Adjustments to the GT ranges for vessel allocations that have already been utilised must be made without an application and without payment of PNBP, while allocations that have not yet been utilised must be updated before the relevant vessels are utilised, also without payment of PNBP. Vessel identification markings already installed must be adjusted no later than 31 December 2027.

Article 211 stipulates that certain licensing applications still being processed before the OSS System or the relevant system is adjusted will continue to be processed under Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 10 of 2021. Meanwhile, Article 212 exempts business operators who already hold a Processing Feasibility Certificate (Sertifikat Kelayakan Pengolahan or “SKP”) from the obligation to obtain an SPDI until the SKP expires. Under Article 213, PB UMKU already issued remains valid until its expiry, while PB UMKU applications submitted before this Regulation came into force will continue to be processed in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Closing

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No. 15 of 2026 serves as the framework for implementing risk-based business licensing in the marine affairs and fisheries sector by aligning business activity standards, product/service standards, and mechanisms for supervision and the imposition of administrative sanctions. Several key provisions, particularly the requirement for capture fisheries businesses with a cumulative vessel allocation of at least 300 GT to operate as corporations established as legal entities, the limitation of fleet allocations to 20,000 GT, and vessel licensing and operational requirements, warrant particular attention from business operators.

Business operators should review the compliance of their licences, vessel allocations, and supporting documents with the new provisions, while also taking into account the transition period and adjustment deadlines established under the transitional provisions. An understanding of the standards set out in the appendices is also essential to ensure compliance with the applicable technical requirements and business obligations.