Fishermen plunge deeper into debt as diesel fuel soars, sea produce falls

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fishermen in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, are plunging deeper into debt due to the fuel price hikes, which have resulted in increased prices for other commodities.

Since early this year, a majority of the hundreds of motor vessels in Muara Angke, the busiest fish market in the city, have stopped operating.

Kalim, who has been in the fishing business for about three years, said that running a motor vessel on a one-week-long sailing trip used to cost Rp 1.7 million (about US$190). That included diesel fuel, ice blocks and meals for about seven crew members. However, after the diesel and staple food price hikes, the cost has soared to Rp 2.5 million.

At the same time, the fish market has been sluggish, causing sea produce prices to fall. "Previously, a kilogram of squid was priced at Rp 15,000. Today, it has dropped to Rp 12,000," he said.

Not surprisingly, the falling price of sea produce has made things worse. A fisherman's life has never been easy. A fisherman's income in Jakarta ranges between Rp 200,000 and Rp 300,000 per month. This is still far below the 2002 minimum wage level in Jakarta, which was Rp 591,266.

Thus, even before the hikes, fishermen sometimes had to borrow money to cover their debts.

"The last time we went to sea, we spent Rp 2.5 million and caught 150 kilograms of squid that sold for Rp 15,000 a kilogram. Consequently, we suffered a financial loss of Rp 250,000.

As a result, the fishermen have become indebted to Gani, the shipowner, who has debts of his own to the diesel and ice block sellers," Kalim added.

So, Gani, who owns 30 vessels, has decided to reduce the frequency of the fishing forays from twice a month to once a month.

Another owner, Yatok, who owns seven vessels in Muara Angke, has even stopped operating altogether.

The shipowners hope that in this way both fishermen and owners can prevent themselves from becoming even more indebted.

As a consequence, thousands of fishermen are idle in Muara Angke, which has about 250 motor vessels. Most of them have returned to their hometowns, such as to Cirebon, West Java, or Serang, Banten.

A similar situation has also occurred in other parts of Indonesia, such as Makassar, South Sulawesi; Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara; Padang, West Sumatra, and Manado, North Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (HNSI) Sumyaryo Sumiskum, said on Wednesday that the government ought to cut the diesel fuel price from Rp 1,890 per liter to 1,600 per liter, Antara news agency reported.

"If, by the end of this month, the government has not reduced the price, HNSI will hold protest demonstrations," he said.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahuri also urged the government to provide Rp 63 billion in fuel price hike compensation funds for the fishermen.

In the meantime, the fishermen will have to survive their present hardships by finding other sources of income -- either by establishing their own small businesses or by doing it the "easy" way: borrowing more money.