Fishermen at a loss due to pollution

Fishermen at a loss due to pollution

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Although compensation has been given by sugar cane factory PT
Gunung Madu Plantations (GMP) to local fishermen in Lampung, the
fishermen remain reluctant to go fishing due to declining fish
stocks in Bandarlampung's polluted water.

They claim pollution would force them to stay home for at
least the next six months.

Coordinator of the Lampung chapter of the Indonesian Forum for
the Environment (Walhi) Mashuri Abdullah said on Friday that the
chemicals in the sugar cane fluid could spread and cause more
widespread damage.

"It has not only contaminated the water near the port, but has
also spread to other areas because of the changing wind
direction," Mashuri said.

Pollution in the waters around Panjang seaport was first
discovered on May 8. An underground pipeline distributing sugar
cane fluid from PT GMP to the docked ship Paros Valleta was found
to be leaking.

The pollution destroyed much of the surrounding marine life.
Fishermen feared that in the next few months, they would not be
able to find anymore fish.

The pollution was estimated to have killed more than 31 types
of fish.

Walhi's advocacy and campaign manager Mukri Priatna said it
would take at least six months to recover the polluted water.

Walhi estimated 900 tons of sugar cane fluid had leaked from
the pipeline, but an official at Panjang seaport claimed it was
as much as 1,500 tons.

PT GMP claimed there was only 300 tons. The widening
contaminated area was because of the wind, it said.

PT GMP Financial Director Gunamarwan said the dissemination of
fish eggs, known as restocking, could only be made in July after
the compensation dispute had been resolved.

"We are still assessing this matter before we distribute the
fish eggs," he said.

Compensation talks turned into a dispute as about 40 people
pretended to be fishermen.

PT GMP, however, decided to render the compensation to 1,027
fishermen living nearby the location.

PT GMP spokesman Hapris Jawodo said the compensation was given
only to fishermen living between the Hanjung area and the village
of Sukaraja in South Telukbetung.

"PT GMP has provided Rp 700 million (US$77,777) compensation.
To receive compensation, the fishermen have had to fulfill some
requirements," Hapris said, citing ID cards and recommendations
from the fishermen union and the respective village heads.

The amount of compensation has varied from Rp 900,000 to Rp
200,000 for ship owners and ship crew respectively.

Chairman of the evaluation team for the granting of the
compensation, Suparmo, acknowledged that several people had
pretended to be fishermen in an effort to obtain the
compensation.

He said anyone unable to provide the required documents would
find their claim declared fictitious.

Suparmo said there were at least 42 people who had pretended
to be fishermen. "But, they would not be given compensation
because they were unable to show the required documents."

A team member and local councillor, Prabawa said that if the
phony fishermen insisted on asking for compensation, the team
would bring the case to the police. But if they withdrew their
demand, the team would not report the matter to the authorities.

"We will do that for humanitarian reasons," he added.