Price fall nets losses for fishermen<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Only two days after the Muara Angke Fish Market management
\nclaimed sales was not affected by media reports on dead fish
\nfound in Jakarta Bay, fishermen in the area bemoaned that prices
\nhad dropped by up to 50 percent since Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mina Jaya Fishermen Cooperatives chairman Fachrudin said on
\nSunday that the drop was caused by declining demand, as people
\nhad cut down on consuming fish following last week's warning
\nissued by the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD).<\/p>\n
\"Prices have dropped drastically from the average Rp 20,000
\n(US$2.25) per kilogram of fish to only Rp 12,000,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post. \"Some types of fish have even fallen to as low as
\nRp 10,000 per kilogram.\"<\/p>\n
The BPLHD issued the warning upon the discovery of dead fish
\non the beaches of Ancol, Kamal Muara and the Thousand Islands
\nsince May 7.<\/p>\n
The agency suspects pollution killed the fish, but has yet to
\ndetermine whether the origin of the pollution was toxic waste
\nfrom industrial plants, or the red tide phenomenon -- an extreme
\nproliferation of toxic algae that absorbs an excessive amount of
\noxygen from the marine environment.<\/p>\n
Muara Angke Fish Market head Riyadi said those fish that had
\ndeclined sharply in price were mostly deep-sea fish such as
\nSpanish mackerel (tenggiri), pomfret (bawal) and grouper
\n(kerapu).<\/p>\n
\"The problem is, most people do not know this and simply
\nassume that the fish at Muara Angke are caught in shallow waters
\nin the bay,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Several fishermen, who had just finished unloading their catch
\nat the market's harbor for auction, confirmed the situation and
\nsaid it would surely affect their income and make life more
\ndifficult.<\/p>\n
Rohadi, a fisherman aboard the Timur Jaya, said that each crew
\nmember could earn up to Rp 50,000 per day from a fair catch --
\nbetween 300 and 400 kilograms of fish. But at the current prices,
\nthe boat's 20-strong crew would be lucky to cover their expenses.<\/p>\n
\"It's really frustrating. What we expected after days of
\ncatching fish at sea was simply to sell our fish at a good
\nprice... And it didn't happen,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To resolve the situation, Fachrudin, who is also chairman of
\nthe Penjaringan chapter of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association
\n(HNSI), has urged relevant officials to explain to the public
\nthat fish sold at Muara Angke did not come from Jakarta Bay.<\/p>\n
The association, he said, also planned to hold a fish-eating
\nexhibition, to which it would invite state and city officials, to
\nshow that the fish were safe for consumption.<\/p>\n
\"If the government was willing to help out poultry farmers
\nduring the bird flu outbreak, why won't they do the same now and
\nhelp out fishermen?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Muara Angke head auction supervisor Syamsuddin
\nsuggested fishermen at the market to eat samples of their catch
\nraw to reassure any doubtful customers.<\/p>\n
Riyadi, on the other hand, fears the fishermen would likely
\ntake their own measures to resolve the situation.<\/p>\n
\"There is a possibility that the fishermen will temporarily
\nlimit their fish supply to Muara Angke or simply stay at sea
\nuntil the prices improve,\" he said. He admitted, though, that
\nsuch moves would also be detrimental to the fishermen if carried
\nout for too long a duration.<\/p>\n
As with Fachrudin, Riyadi also suggests that the city
\nadministration immediately clarify the issue for the sake of the
\nfishermen.<\/p>\n
\"The public must understand the difficult situation faced by
\nthe fishermen...,\" he said, adding that the city would also
\nsuffer a decline in revenues if Muara Angke sales fell further.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/price-fall-nets-losses-for-fishermen-1447893297",
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