Fuel crisis hits fishing industry in Maluku<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Fishing Companies
\n(Gappindo) urged the government on Tuesday to help fishing
\ncompanies in Maluku and Irian Jaya which have been suffering from
\na fuel crisis over the past two months.<\/p>\n
Association executive director Bambang Soeboko said in a
\nstatement that many fishing boats and fish processing plants in
\nthe eastern region had not been able to operate fully over the
\npast two months due to severe shortage of fuel supplies from
\nstate oil and gas company Pertamina.<\/p>\n
\"Many owners of fish processing plants were forced to queue at
\nPertamina's fuel depots only to receive 30 percent of their fuel
\nneeds,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
The problem was also experienced by fishermen, who operated a
\ntotal of 1,378 small-size boats in the region, he added.<\/p>\n
According to latest data from the Directorate General of
\nFisheries, there are 1,984 fishing boats operating in the eastern
\nregion, including 1,116 boats in Maluku and 818 boats in Irian
\nJaya.<\/p>\n
\"If the fuel crisis persists and the government continues with
\nits plan to raise the price of fuel on Oct. 1, 2000, many fishing
\ncompanies operating in the Maluku and Irian Jaya waters will go
\nbankrupt or at least half of the existing fishing boats will be
\ngrounded,\" Bambang warned.<\/p>\n
Bambang said the fuel shortage, if it continued, would deal a
\nheavy blow to the country and the eastern provinces as the
\nfishing industry was one of the main foreign exchange earners in
\nthe region.<\/p>\n
Indonesian fish exports in the first semester totaled US$670
\nmillion, up from $647 million in the same period last year,
\naccording to the Central Bureau of Statistics.<\/p>\n
The fishing industry also employed a large number of people,
\nBambang added.<\/p>\n
He said the industry could actually become a prime mover for
\nthe region to recover from the current economic, social and
\npolitical crisis.<\/p>\n
\"Gappindo strongly hopes the government will pay special
\nattention to this eastern region and restore fuel supplies, which
\nare vital for the region's fishing industry and other sectors,\"
\nBambang said.<\/p>\n
Maluku has been battered by ethnic violence over the past two
\nyears, while Irian Jaya has been hit by a separatist movement
\nwhich has been growing since the downfall of president Soeharto
\nin mid-1998. (jsk)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fuel-crisis-hits-fishing-industry-in-maluku-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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