Fish farmers disappointed with compensation
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The compensation the city administration paid to fish farmers in Cilincing subdistrict, North Jakarta, for losses due to pollution from a temporary dump was totally inadequate and snacked of corruption.
Adding insult to injury, the farmers branded the administration's bid to stop further pollution from the dump a failure.
The administration gave the farmers Rp 217 million (US$25,530) in compensation, far below the Rp 774 million they had demanded. The amount had to be shared with fish farmers from Marunda beach, meaning that each farmer received only Rp 2 million on average.
"We are very disappointed with the compensation scheme in which we are bundled together with farmers from Marunda. We are the ones who stood up against the pollution," Cilincing fish farmers spokesman Edi Jubaidi said on Sunday as quoted by Antara.
Azas Tigor Nainggolan of the non-governmental organization Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta), who represented the fish farmers in negotiating with the administration, alleged irregularities in the distribution of the compensation by the City Fisheries Agency.
"As far as Fakta is concerned, we only gave advocacy services to 26 farmers. We don't know how Marunda farmers could be included in the list of those who are eligible for compensation," he told The Jakarta Post.
He accused the agency officials of coming up with fictitious names to secure the largest sum of money from the compensation.
"Even if the names exist, I am extremely doubtful the pollution could reach Marunda beach. Therefore, fishermen in that area should not be eligible to receive compensation," Tigor said.
He called on the Jakarta Police to immediately investigate the alleged funds misuse.
Edi said the compensation money from the administration would only be enough to cover the cost of cleaning up their polluted ponds.
"The administration officials claimed the money would be enough to buy fish, fertilizers and nutrients, completely contrary to the facts," he said.
Edi said the farmers had to drain their ponds three times before they were clean enough to restart fish breeding.
He was concerned runoff from the dump would continue and said the administration's cure of building a concrete wall separating the dump from the fish ponds was not working.
"Liquid waste in the dump easily breaches the walls during heavy rains."
The administration closed down the dump in Cilincing last month following strong protests from the farmers and complaints from the Office of the State Minister of the Environment about pollution in the area.