Bad smell in N. Jakarta

Bad smell in N. Jakarta

The death of thousands of fish in Jakarta Bay reminds us of
Minamata disease, a pollution-induced disease officially
identified in Minamata Bay, Japan, in May 1956. Minamata disease
is the familiar name given to mercury toxicosis, which was first
found in people who had consumed contaminated seafood from
Minamata Bay, where methyl mercury was dumped into the sea.
Methyl mercury is a byproduct derived from the processing of
acetaldehyde, which in this case was carried out by the Chisso
Company Ltd., an industrial undertaking in Minamata, a town that
was home to some 34,000 people.

While the current case of pollution in Jakarta Bay may not be
as serious as the Minamata calamity, it is nevertheless essential
that it serves as a wake-up call to the people of Jakarta and
their administrators. It is, therefore, interesting to read North
Jakarta Mayor Effendy Anas' statement that the death of thousands
of fish and clams in Jakarta Bay was due to a "common practice"
of fishermen there. The dead fish were dumped back into the water
by the fishermen after they had caught bigger fish, the mayor
said, arguing that the fish population in the bay is thriving.

Things could not be more simple for the mayor despite the fact
that the livelihoods of fishermen have been decimated after the
deaths of so many fish and clams last Saturday along the North
Jakarta coast near Ancol. To make matters worse, the mayor also
said that there was no problem in the bay since as fish released
there on Thursday had survived.

The inescapable question that this argument raises is: Does
the mayor mean to close this case with his statements? Or does he
want to demonstrate that he, being the man in power, can do no
wrong? Or could it possibly be that the mayor is trying to evade
responsibility after having failed to protect the bay from
industrial pollution? Governor Sutiyoso, however, has confirmed
that the fish and clams died from pollution, and has asked people
not to consume fish caught in the bay until the problem has been
dealt with.

But neither Effendy Anas nor Sutiyoso are environmentalists
with sufficient expertise in matters concerning marine pollution.
They are officials who, like so many other officials in this
country, are prone to making promises and rhetorical statements
that lack any substance. And the fact that the statements made by
the two officials are very much at odds is proof, if any were
needed, that their statements are little more than pious
utterances from on high.

Another interesting point to note is the sluggishness of the
Jakarta administration in determining what really caused the fish
kill. The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) has yet
to complete its investigation, but earlier the agency's head,
Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, said that samples of water taken from
the bay contained excessive levels of mercury and ammonia.

Unlike the administration, which normally appears reticent
about doing anything to counter pollution, the Indonesian Forum
for the Environment (Walhi) has pointed the finger at five
manufacturing plants situated on the coast. Walhi's Selamet
Daroyni said in a press release that there were strong
indications that these plants had discharged untreated hazardous
waste into the sea. Walhi has also accused the Jakarta
administration of lacking seriousness in tackling environmental
issues.

So far, what has happened in Jakarta Bay has hurt not only the
fishermen, but also seafood restaurants. Local fishermen have
complained about a serious decline in their catches since last
week. One fisherman said on Wednesday that normally he could
catch about 10 kilograms of shrimp a day. However, he says the
most he has caught recently is five shriveled shrimps. An owner
of a restaurant in the Ancol recreation park said that
reservations had been canceled due to reports about the fish
poisoning.

It should by now be obvious that what happened in Jakarta Bay
is a disaster that needs prompt and effective handling. A
preliminary analysis conducted by the Office of the State
Minister for Research and Technology and the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences (LIPI) found that high levels of ammonia in the sea
might be due to an outbreak red tide. Obviously, to accuse the
fishermen of dumping dead fish into the sea, as the North Jakarta
mayor blatantly did, is to spread disinformation and confusion
among the public.

Despite the continuing possibility that what has happened is
the result of a natural phenomenon, the presence of excessive
levels of mercury in Jakarta Bay could mean that this particular
case of pollution is the product of both irresponsible business
practices -- giving priority to production and ignoring
environmental health -- and the government's policy of promoting
industry at any cost.

Society, therefore, needs to be made aware that any business
that destroys the environment must be made to compensate the
victims, and to clean up the mess it has caused. We don't need
empty promises and statements. It would also be best for
officials to refrain from making misleading statements or telling
downright lies, as they are so often wont to do.

The best thing to do now is to leave the problem to
independent experts and environmentalists, who are free from the
pressure of government officials -- for whatever reason such
pressure might be brought to bear. This is also the proper time
for higher education and scientific institutes to join hands in
clearing up the issue and recommending measures to prevent
further disastrous outbreaks of pollution in the future. And if
scientific analysis should find that industrial waste is the
cause of the pollution in Jakarta Bay, then obviously the city
administration must ensure that the culprits are punished to the
full extent of the law.