Cirebon fishermen back at sea after fuel price cut

Cirebon fishermen back at sea after fuel price cut

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java

Thousands of fishermen in Cirebon, West Java, returned to sea to
fish following the government's decision to lower the fuel prices
that had only recently been raised.

The fishermen had been on strike over the past two weeks in
protest over the government decision to raise fuel prices, power
and telephone rates.

Secretary of the Cirebon chapter of the Association of
Indonesian Fishermen (HNSI) Karsudin said that the majority of
fishermen in the regency had resumed fishing after the government
finally bowed to increasing protests against the hike in
automotive diesel fuel to Rp 1,890 per liter.

The price of diesel fuel was later lowered to Rp 1,650 per
liter.

"The fishermen went to the sea soon after the automotive
diesel fuel was lowered," he said.

Millions of fishermen in other provinces resumed their daily
activities following the government's decision to lower the price
of automotive diesel fuel.

Karsudin said that only a small number of the 2,200 fishermen
who are members of the local HNSI chapter went fishing over the
past two weeks while a greater number joined the strike.

The fishermen docked some 2,000 fishing boats along the
coastal areas of Samadikun, Cangkol, and fishing port Kejawanan,
Cirebon in protest over the fuel price hike.

The simultaneous price increases triggered weeks of protests
involving people from all walks of life. The government then
announced on Monday a reduction in fuel prices and discounts for
certain electricity users in a response to the nationwide
protests.

Karsudin said that most of the fishermen in Cirebon did not
own motorized fishing boats as they were still too poor.

"Fishing companies have barred their employees from fishing to
protest the increase in automotive diesel fuel," he said.

Nurjaman, 47, a fisherman from Cangkol village, Lemahwungkuk
district, Cirebon, said that he and his associates were relieved
with the reduction in the price of diesel fuel.

"We cannot afford to go fishing if the fuel price is increased
as it increases our overhead," he said.

Nurjaman said that he had to spend between Rp 5 million and Rp
8 million per month.

He said that 70 percent of the operational costs was to buy
diesel for the boat and ice for storing the fish while the rest
was for fishermen's needs.

"I hope the price of other goods will go down in line with the
reduction in fuel prices so that fishermen's income will
improve," he said.