Aceh fishermen long to be back at sea<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Being a fisherman is in Ibrahim's blood. He is known among Aceh
\nBesar fishermen as Pawang Him, a name to show that the 60-year-
\nold is a veteran compared to the others.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 26, he was among 2,000 fishermen who sheltered in
\nDarussalam area in Banda Aceh. On that day his village was
\ndestroyed and his wife and children, lost to the tsunamis.<\/p>\n
Now, the resident of Lambada village in Mesjid Raya Aceh Besar
\ndistrict works cleaning up the city for Rp 30,000 a day.<\/p>\n
Many survivors are loathe even to walk by the ocean, but
\nPawang Him, an Aceh Besar sea commander, longs to return to his
\nhometown, to take up his fishing net again.<\/p>\n
\"I still want to go fishing. If I am moved to another place,
\neven if it's close to the sea, I don't want to,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Aceh Sea Commander Muhammad Adli Abdullah, the
\nhead of the province's sea commanders, there were 173 sea
\ncommanders in Aceh before the tsunami hit. But in the disaster,
\n41 of them died, mostly those living in Banda Aceh and Aceh
\nBesar.<\/p>\n
\"At the time of the disaster, it was much safer for the
\nfishermen at sea rather than on land. Most of the surviving
\nfishermen were those who stayed out at sea,\" Muhammad Adli said.<\/p>\n
Aceh had been home to around 63,000 fishermen, but some 15,000
\nof them died in the disaster.<\/p>\n
As Aceh's sea commander, Muhammad Adli made every effort in
\nthe weeks after the tsunami to shelter the surviving fishermen,
\nincluding Ibrahim. Now, he hopes to help them fish again.<\/p>\n
\"But the government hasn't involved us in making a decision
\n(over the future of fisherman) although most of the tsunami
\nvictims were fishermen,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When the disaster struck, the fishermen did flee to higher
\nground, but they had no intention of staying.<\/p>\n
\"We've been fishermen since we were little. No way can we be
\nfarmers, or even move to a mountainous area,\" said Samsul, a
\nfisherman from Lampulo area.<\/p>\n
Samsul said he was worried the government would resettle the
\nfishermen in higher areas as Lampulo was devastated by the
\ncatastrophe.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Adli and other fishermen hoped the government would
\nnot come up with a \"crazy\" plan for the fishermen.<\/p>\n
\"Just make homes for us and let us fish for a living,\" Adli
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-fishermen-long-to-be-back-at-sea-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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