Indonesia's Minister of Maritime Affairsand Fisheries and one-time seafood entrepreneur Susi Pudjiastuti is leading Indonesia's crackdown on illegal fishing and being honored for her work.
Pudjiastuti was honored last week at Peter Benchley Ocean Awards in Washington D.C., cited for her efforts in protecting Indonesia's marine ecosystem, and tackling poachers and organized crime, reports the Associated Press.
Named in honor of the author of "Jaws," and co-writer of the hugely popular movie based on the book, the Benchley awards celebrate those who have committed their lives to working on important ocean and coastal issues.
Pudjiastuti has led efforts in destroying hundreds of fishing vessels in the past two years.
Indonesia's approach bothers China and other neighboring countries whose vessels have been caught up in the crackdown.
On taking office, she quickly declared a fishing moratorium for foreign vessels. Indonesian authorities have sunk more than 300 foreign fishing vessels.
The United States and Australia are providing support to Indonesia, including satellite technology to help surveillance of waters.
"Her moratorium on foreign fishing vessels ended up playing a pivotal role in The Associated Press' 'Seafood from Slaves' investigation, which in 2015 found that more than 2,000 foreign fishermen had been enslaved aboard Thai vessels based on the remote Indonesian island of Benjina, catching seafood bound for consumers in the US and other countries," said the Associated Press article.
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