Joint campaign hopes to project polluted beaches<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten<\/p>\n
Mindful that marine pollution along the north Java coast has
\nreached alarming levels, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime
\nAffairs embarked on an ongoing program, titled Clean up the
\nbeach, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of ministry staff, volunteers organized under a
\ncharity foundation, General Electric (GE) Elfun, boy scouts and
\nlocal fishermen took to the seashore of Tanjung Pasir beach in
\nTangerang regency, Banten province, picking up garbage on the
\nbeach to mark the start of the program locally.<\/p>\n
The campaign, launched by Coordinating Minister for the
\nEconomy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and Minister of Fisheries and
\nMaritime Affairs Rokhmin Dahuri, is also aimed at regreening
\ncoastal marshes by planting 2,000 mangroves.<\/p>\n
Dorodjatun said that the seashore along the north Java
\ncoastline needed immediate protection from unchecked pollution.<\/p>\n
"If no immediate action were taken the beaches and their
\nmarine life would vanish within the next 10 years," he said.<\/p>\n
The campaign came against the backdrop of the Jakarta
\nAdministrative Court verdict in favor of the controversial North
\nJakarta reclamation project.<\/p>\n
The Office of the Coordinating Minister planned to hold a
\nsimilar program in 100 regencies across the country.<\/p>\n
Rokhmin said hopes that fisheries could contribute
\nsignificantly to the country's exports would be dashed if the sea
\nwere constantly polluted.<\/p>\n
"How can we expect fisheries to contribute significantly to
\nour exports if the sea is turned into a giant pool to accommodate
\nupstream pollution?" he asked.<\/p>\n
The minister said of the targeted Rp 1.25 trillion (US$147
\nmillion) the fisheries sector had to contribute to the state
\nbudget this year, only $50 million had materialized thus far.<\/p>\n
He added that 85 percent of the material that polluted Jakarta
\nBay was caused by activities on the mainland, ranging from
\nchemical to human waste.<\/p>\n
A national Clean up the beach campaign was launched on Sept.
\n21, 2003, at Kenjeran beach, Surabaya, East Java. Earlier, the
\nprogram had been tested for its feasibility at Kronjo beach, also
\nin Tangerang regency.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is an archipelagic country with 60 percent of its
\npopulation living in coastal areas.<\/p>\n
However, local residents doubted the cleanup program would be
\neffective in the long run.<\/p>\n
"Instead of cleaning up garbage that has piled up on beaches,
\nthe government should stop pollution at its source, namely
\nfactories that deliberately discharge their waste into rivers
\nflowing to Jakarta Bay, and litter in the city," Dulhadi, a
\nfisherman and local resident told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said that the garbage that sometimes covered the beach had
\ndealt fishermen in the village a severe blow.<\/p>\n
"We have difficulties in getting rid of all kinds of junk, but
\nwhat has been most harmful is that the garbage has driven away
\nfish," he said.<\/p>\n
The fisherman also said local residents were in dire need of a
\nwave barrier that would protect their homes from coastal erosion.<\/p>",
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