JP\/5\/D06<\/p>\n
Marine nature lovers strive to preserve Bali's coral reefs<\/p>\n
Antara\/Denpasar<\/p>\n
The severe damage of Bali's coral reefs in recent years has
\nstirred a group of nature lovers to train fishermen in coral reef
\nmanagement. Certificates are awarded for the successful
\ncompletion of the training as a means of deterring the use of
\ncyanide and bombs by fishermen of ornamental fish.<\/p>\n
One hundred and thirty eight fishermen have so far been
\ncertified by the group after training part-time for two years.<\/p>\n
An executive with the Marine Aquarium Council's (MAC)
\nIndonesian representative Gayatri Reksodihardjo said the
\nfishermen were not only trained in efficient methods
\nto catch fish without damaging the reef, but also in ways to
\nready the ornamental fish for export.<\/p>\n
Gayatri said it had taken years to change the mind-set of the
\nfishermen, although they had known for some time that using
\nexplosives in fishing was against the law.<\/p>\n
A fisherman who has been in the business for 20 years, I Made
\nPasek, said the training had been enlightening. He realizes now
\nthat while bombing the reefs was a fast way to catch fish, it was
\ndestroying his future livelihood.<\/p>\n
I Made Pasek is one of the 138 fishermen living in Buleleng
\nregency in northern Bali, which is famous for its ornamental fish
\nindustry. The fishermen now supply ornamental fish to at least 40
\nornamental fish exporting companies operating on the resort
\nisland.<\/p>\n
According to data from the Bali Industry and Trade Office,
\nrevenue attained from the ornamental fish trade in 2001 reached
\nUS$4 million, or an increase of 37.2 percent compared to the
\nprevious year of only $2.9 million. However, exports later
\ndropped as a consequence of global political conditions. Fish
\nexports from Bali dropped to $2.8 million, or 62 percent in 2002,
\nand declined further to $2.3 million in 2003.<\/p>\n
As the global economy improved, shipments of reef fish from
\nBali climbed slowly to $3.1 million in 2004, while the figure
\nuntil September 2005, only reached $1.8 million from the sale of
\none million fish. Buyers of the hundreds of varieties of fish are
\ngenerally from Asian countries, like Singapore, Taiwan and Hong
\nKong, apart from a few countries in the European community.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5d06-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}