Fishermen wage war against trawlers

Oyos Saroso HN, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Hundreds of fishermen demonstrated in Bandarlampung on Saturday to demand that local authorities crack down on their fellow fishermen using trawlers and dynamite in fishing.

They threatened to occupy the provincial legislative council building and the governor's office, should firm action not be taken against the rouge fishermen.

The protesters from at least 15 local groups of fishermen marched to the city's Saburai ground and later paraded across the town in vans, trucks and motorcycles.

"We have protested many times to the governor, the council and the police, but they always ignore our demand... so we have often been forced to expel them (trawlers) ourselves," said M. Yamin, leader of the Lampung Fishermen Union.

He said that apart from damaging the environment, dynamite fishing in Lampung waters had reduced the catch of traditional fishermen there.

"The environmental damage to nearby coastal areas has forced small scale fishermen to go much further out to fish at sea, though their vessels and fishing equipment are inadequate to do so," he added.

Yamin said trawlers and fishermen using dynamite usually work for big businessmen backed by security personnel.

The protesters also urged the government to take action against at least three companies accused of polluting the Way Seputih, Way Terusan and Way Pegadungan rivers that empty into the Kuala Seputih waters, where local fishermen usually catch fish.

The three firms are PT Indo Lampung Lestari, PT Ve Wong Budi Indonesia and PT Budi Acid Jaya, Yamin said. "The factories have clearly killed thousands of tons of fish and shrimp between 1998 and 1999," he added.

The pollution has made fishermen in Central Lampung and Tulangbawang regencies jobless due to the death of fish.

Yamin further said traditional fishermen in East Lampung have frequently been involved in clashes in Semangka waters with rivals using trawlers and dynamite fishing.

The Jakarta Post observed many cases of brawls between trawlers and traditional fishermen at Kotakarang village in Telukbetung, who have often received threats from outsiders for their attacks on rivals.