Fish farmers caught between ban, virus

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

The North Sumatra administration has appealed to fish farmers to stop cultivating fish for a year following the deaths of hundreds of tons of carp in Lake Toba from the Koi herpes virus.

North Sumatra Fisheries Office chief Ridwan Batubara said the authorities were concerned the virus would return if the farmers continued cultivating fish.

"The farmers are the ones who will suffer additional losses if they don't do something. Their fish would certainly die because the virus has spread everywhere," Ridwan told The Jakarta Post.

A carp farmer in Lake Toba, Jannes Purba, 48, stopped farming his fish about a week ago.

Though the administration may be looking out for the well being of the farmers, those involved in the industry are concerned and upset over the possible loss of their livelihood, said Jannes, a father of three.

"We are confused because we have not worked for a week now. Rather than sitting around doing nothing, carp farmers at the floating fish hatcheries would prefer to continue raising fish. Unfortunately, the government has prohibited us from doing this," said Jannes at Haranggaol beach in Lake Toba.

Jannes said many farmers were falling into debt and were missing payments on bank loans. He said he borrowed Rp 50 million (US$5,500) from one of the farmers' cooperatives this year, but before he could repay the loan his fish died from the virus.

He said the administration should provide the fish farmers with aid. "How can we repay our if our fish keep dying? Where can we get the money?"

The vice chairman of the Haranggaol Fish Farmers Association in Simalungun, Timbul Saragih, said farmers had suffered estimated losses of Rp 44 billion.

Timbul said the virus had affected 285 fish farmers operating 2,942 fish hatcheries. "The loss from each unit is estimated at Rp 15 million."

Ridwan said the Koi herpes virus had spread to different areas of the province. He said the virus first appeared in Haranggaol, Simalungun regency, in early November before spreading to Lake Toba, Haranggaol and Tigaras in Simalungun, Simanindo and Pangururan in Samosir, Tongging in Karo and Balige in Toba Samosir, eventually reaching as far as North Tapanuli regency.

"The virus only attacks carp. We estimate that nearly 1,000 tons of carp in different areas have died," he said.

Ridwan said his office was working to stop the outbreak. During the lull in fish farming, the fisheries office has sent a team to conduct studies in the affected areas.

"Our mission is to control the virus in a year's time so the farmers can return to business as usual."