Shipping routes off Cilacap disrupted<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nCilacap, Central Java<\/p>\n
Shipping routes in the waters off Cilacap, Central Java, have
\nrecently been disrupted by fishermen who persist in casting their
\nnets along designated shipping lanes.<\/p>\n
Very often incoming or outward bound ships at the city's
\nPelabuhan III Indonesian Tanjung Intan port and the special port
\nfor state oil and gas company Pertamina are postponed due to the
\ncasting of fishing nets along the final five-kilometer route to
\nthe ports.<\/p>\n
Cilacap Pertamina's spokesman, Husni Banser, told The Jakarta
\nPost on Wednesday that the situation had tarnished the city
\nport's image and could lead to international shipping companies
\nblacklisting it.<\/p>\n
There are six tankers loading and unloading at Pertamina's
\nprivate port every day.<\/p>\n
He cited the tankers as an example.<\/p>\n
\"If we wait for the fishermen to clear their fishing nets it
\nwould take a long time and we would have to pay the docking fee
\nof the tankers in the port, which could amount to Rp 125
\nmillion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, many captains of foreign ships have
\ncomplained of the situation. \"This has really concerned us. In
\nthe long run we could be blacklisted by international shipping
\ncompanies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said if the tankers decided to plow through the fishing
\nnets without waiting for them to be cleared, the fishermen would
\nthrong the state company's office and demand compensation.<\/p>\n
He said that one fishing net cost about Rp 5 million. \"Often
\nthey do it. We suspect that they intentionally do it to get the
\ncompensation. That causes many people to jokingly ask whether the
\nfishermen want to net the fish or the ships,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Husni noted that at least 600 fishermen fished along the
\nroute, casting at least 160 fishing nets. One fishing net has a
\nwidth of about 70 meters, while the route's width is about 100
\nmeters.<\/p>\n
Directional signals, which are very important to direct ships
\nto and from the port at night, are also often stolen. \"Without
\nthe signals they cannot pass the route and have to be guided,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Pertamina, he said, had twice met the fishermen to explain the
\nimportance of the route for shipping, but to no avail.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the local administration will organize other meetings
\nwith the fishermen to convince them about the problem,\" said
\nHusni.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shipping-routes-off-cilacap-disrupted-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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