Fish bombs destroying Lampung's coral reefs

Fish bombs destroying Lampung's coral reefs

By Budisantoso Budiman

BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung (Antara): Despite a high incidence of tragic accidents, Lampung's fishing communities have expressed no sign of remorse for their use of explosives when catching fish.

The latest victim was a member of the Army, whose body was badly mutilated following detonation of a bomb. It is believed that the man was killed by the fish bomb that accidentally exploded.

Environmentalists and scuba divers say explosives have caused extensive damage to coral reefs in the Lampung Bay and the Sunda Strait.

Sinek Kurniawan, an instructor with the Corona Diving Club, has reported that coral reefs in Lampung waters have been seriously damaged. The main cause is unchecked fish bombing.

Explosives can yield a larger catch in a shorter time, but the destruction to the reefs, which provide a home for marine biota, is heavy and widespread.

"Good and intact coral reefs are hard to find in Lampung Bay and Sunda Strait," Kurniawan said.

Kurniawan's finding is confirmed by Anshori Djausal MT, who once led a surveying team to investigate coral reefs for tourist development projects in Lampung.

Anshori said he hoped the authority given to the Navy's Teluk Ratai base to oversee security in the area would deter use of explosives by local fishermen. As well as bombing fishing sites, the use of potassium cyanide to catch aquarium fish is also widespread.

"Coral reefs in Padangcermin and Teluk Ratai, which were battered by bombing, began to grow again, thanks to the navy's supervision," he said.

Environmental activists from Coastal and Sea Networks (Jaring- PELA) also voiced their grave concern over the destruction of the reefs during their meeting held in August in Medan.

They also expressed their concern over the methods and management of fishery projects; ventures they considered harmful to the interests of small-scale fishing interests.

The activists called for "concrete actions" to save the coasts and the seas in Lampung from further destruction.

"It is not only the reefs and the fish which are threatened, but also the small-scale fisher folk. Actions should be taken to maintain the people's livelihood and dignity so that they won't be marginalized," says Herza Yulianto, a Jaring Pela activist.

The traditional fishing communities are increasingly marginalized. They are powerless in their battles against the government and large-scale fishing ventures, which usually hail from other provinces.

It is understood that local traditional fisher folk are not involved in the destruction of coral reefs in the Sunda Strait area around the marine national park near Mt. Anak Krakatoa.

Residents in the area claim that they often see fishermen from West Java and Bandarlampung using explosives. People residing close to Lampung Bay relate a similar story. They say the bombing involves people from other areas.

Lampung has 35,375 square kilometers of land, 1,105 kilometers of coastlines and 69 islands.

The environmental degradation in eastern Lampung coasts began 15 years ago, along with the influx of migrants who turned mangroves into brackish prawn ponds, as well as agricultural land. Conflicts over land ownership has worsened ecological and social problems.

With financial assistance from USAID, a cooperation project involving the Bogor Agriculture Institute, the University of Lampung and the Lampung provincial Planning Board has led to the development of a Lampung coastal map. However, a follow-up working program is yet to be developed.

Lampung environmentalists say they are beginning to take action to protect coastal residents from the impact of the continuing destruction of their ecosystem.

Yulianto said the issues to be addressed included the conversion of coastal land, destructive fishing methods, the destruction of coral reefs, pollution of the sea and the violation of local people's rights.

The Nature Lovers (Mapala) organization from the University of Lampung plans to provide guidance to villagers in Ketapang and Padangcermin, southern Lampung, on conservation and economic empowerment.

"We are appalled by the ruination of coastal resources and coral reefs. Local residents are marginalized and nobody cares. We mean to help them to improve their welfare," said Mapala chief, Devi Kartika.