West Java fishermen to be relocated from north coast<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Bandung\/Cirebon<\/p>\n
Starting next year, the West Java administration will gradually
\nrelocate thousands of fishermen from the province's north coast
\nareas to southwest Java and east Indonesia, officials said on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The relocations are an attempt to improve the fishermen's
\ncatches, which have been decreasing yearly.<\/p>\n
The small catches are blamed on the dense population of
\nfishermen in north coast areas.<\/p>\n
West Java Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office head Djunaidi
\nsaid there were tens of thousands of fishermen on the north coast
\nof Java working on 10,900 fishing boats, while in the south there
\nwere only 3,100 fishing boats.<\/p>\n
He said that better infrastructures, such as roads and
\nelectricity, on the north coast prompted fishermen to work there,
\ninstead of the south which was less developed.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from that, the waves in the north are less powerful
\nthan those in the south, they only reach between two and six
\nmeters high,\" Djunaidi added.<\/p>\n
He said that the relocations were part of national programs
\ncarried out by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.<\/p>\n
The relocations will begin in 2004, targeting only 100
\nfishermen per year, he said.<\/p>\n
Djunaidi said his office would provide 180 large boats with a
\ncapacity of 30 tons each for the relocated fishermen in the
\ncountry's eastern regions and parts of southwest Java, such as
\nSukabumi regency.<\/p>\n
The local administration has also proposed that the central
\ngovernment develop the Pelabuhan Ratu fishing port in Sukabumi so
\nthat local fishermen can directly export their fish, he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, West Java Governor Danny Setiawan promised to
\nsupport plans to relocate fishermen and their families,
\noriginally from Indramayu regency, who had been evicted by the
\nJakarta administration.<\/p>\n
\"We will assist them with funds from our budget but the
\nIndramayu regent will deal with the matter,\" he said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
While he did not specify the amount of assistance West Java
\nwould provide, he said around Rp 30 billion (US$3.5 million) was
\nneeded to relocate at least 223 families.<\/p>\n
The money will jointly be provided by the central government
\nand the West Java administration, Danny added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/west-java-fishermen-to-be-relocated-from-north-coast-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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