Fishermen wage war against trawlers<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso HN, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Hundreds of fishermen demonstrated in Bandarlampung on Saturday
\nto demand that local authorities crack down on their fellow
\nfishermen using trawlers and dynamite in fishing.<\/p>\n
They threatened to occupy the provincial legislative council
\nbuilding and the governor's office, should firm action not be
\ntaken against the rouge fishermen.<\/p>\n
The protesters from at least 15 local groups of fishermen
\nmarched to the city's Saburai ground and later paraded across the
\ntown in vans, trucks and motorcycles.<\/p>\n
\"We have protested many times to the governor, the council and
\nthe police, but they always ignore our demand... so we have often
\nbeen forced to expel them (trawlers) ourselves,\" said M. Yamin,
\nleader of the Lampung Fishermen Union.<\/p>\n
He said that apart from damaging the environment, dynamite
\nfishing in Lampung waters had reduced the catch of traditional
\nfishermen there.<\/p>\n
\"The environmental damage to nearby coastal areas has forced
\nsmall scale fishermen to go much further out to fish at sea,
\nthough their vessels and fishing equipment are inadequate to do
\nso,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Yamin said trawlers and fishermen using dynamite usually work
\nfor big businessmen backed by security personnel.<\/p>\n
The protesters also urged the government to take action
\nagainst at least three companies accused of polluting the Way
\nSeputih, Way Terusan and Way Pegadungan rivers that empty into
\nthe Kuala Seputih waters, where local fishermen usually catch
\nfish.<\/p>\n
The three firms are PT Indo Lampung Lestari, PT Ve Wong Budi
\nIndonesia and PT Budi Acid Jaya, Yamin said. \"The factories have
\nclearly killed thousands of tons of fish and shrimp between 1998
\nand 1999,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The pollution has made fishermen in Central Lampung and
\nTulangbawang regencies jobless due to the death of fish.<\/p>\n
Yamin further said traditional fishermen in East Lampung have
\nfrequently been involved in clashes in Semangka waters with
\nrivals using trawlers and dynamite fishing.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post observed many cases of brawls between
\ntrawlers and traditional fishermen at Kotakarang village in
\nTelukbetung, who have often received threats from outsiders for
\ntheir attacks on rivals.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fishermen-wage-war-against-trawlers-1447893297",
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