Fishermen wage war against trawlers

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.