Sleman offers fishermen a new beginning<\/p>\n
Bambang M, Contributor\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
The regency of Sleman has its own way of taking care of the
\nenvironment. Instead of simply banning people from using
\nelectricity to catch fish, it is also offering them a new
\nbeginning -- on land.<\/p>\n
The regency has been long been home to hundreds of people who
\nmake a living by killing fish in local rivers with electric
\ncurrents. The traders then sell the fish in markets.<\/p>\n
The Sleman Agricultural and Forestry Office estimates there
\nare about 400 fishermen who use electricity in the region.
\nEcological experts are concerned about the damage this unusual
\ntype of fishing is doing to the area's fish populations.<\/p>\n
These \"electric\" fishermen usually use 12-volt storage
\nbatteries, or a small engine to create the current. This current
\nkills or stuns all fish in a radius of about two meters.<\/p>\n
It is unclear when fishing using electricity became
\nfashionable in Sleman. Fishermen, however, find the method very
\neffective. A fisherman, Budiyono, said he could get about four
\nkilograms of fish a day, which he sold for Rp 7,500 a kilogram.<\/p>\n
However, it's the effectiveness of this method that is the
\nbiggest threat to the environment. The current does not just kill
\nthe big fish but all the other river creatures as well, including
\nplankton, baby fish, and fish eggs.<\/p>\n
\"In the long run, this particular method of catching fish is
\nendangering the river's natural diversity. This ecosystem could
\nbe completely destroyed,\" biologist Djoko Raharjo of Duta Wacana
\nChristian University's School of Biology said.<\/p>\n
Although comprehensive scientific studies have yet to be made,
\nthere are already signs of the damage electric fishing does.<\/p>\n
Some species of fish, including wader, (Puntius spp), are
\nbecoming more difficult to find in local rivers. Wito Wiguno, a
\ntraditional fisher who uses nets or hooks and lines to do his
\njob, said he found it increasingly difficult to catch fish in
\nlocal rivers.<\/p>\n
In order to prevent the environment from further damage, the
\nagricultural office was offering fishermen with a new livelihood,
\noffice head Achmad Yulianto said.<\/p>\n
Initially some 400 fishermen were invited to attend
\nmotivational meetings design to mentally prepare them to switch
\nprofessions. Only those who went to 80 percent of the meetings
\nwere allowed to go on to the next part of the program and receive
\nstart-up capital to buy either ducks or lambs.<\/p>\n
\"Each participant gets 10 lambs (nine female and one male) or
\n50 ducks to start with,\" Yulianto said.<\/p>\n
The office hopes to transform the fishermen into successful
\nduck or lamb breeders.<\/p>\n
\"Since joining the program, I rarely go fishing using an
\nelectric current. I only do so once every two months,\" Ahmad
\nRoni, who previously fished about once a week, said.<\/p>\n
The regency now plans to prohibit restaurants in the area from
\nbuying fish killed by electricity, especially wader, a favorite
\nmenu in local restaurants.<\/p>\n
People in the regency believe their scheme could be a model
\nfor other regions in the country, which face similar
\nenvironmental problems.<\/p>\n
A good slogan for the region would be: \"In Sleman, We Save Our
\nNatural Diversity\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sleman-offers-fishermen-a-new-beginning-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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