Foreign fishing vessels nabbed JP/5/Across

Foreign fishing vessels nabbed

SUNGAI LIAT, Bangka Belitung: The Navy has captured two foreign vessels carrying crew members from Thailand that was fishing illegally in the waters of Bangka Belitung, said a local Navy officer.

The two foreign vessels, KM Sembilang and KM Bahtera Santosa, entered the waters of Bangka Belitung flying the Indonesian flag, said the provincial Naval base commander Lt. Col. Deddy MP on Wednesday. "All crew members of the two illegal vessels are Thailand nationals," he said.

KM Sembilang had a crew of 15 and KM Bahtera Santosa, a crew of 16. They were caught on Tuesday, Deddy said.

He suggested that the two fishing vessels be auctioned off to local fishermen, as they had suffered the most from the illegal fishermen.

The Navy has recently taken tougher measures against illegal foreign fishing vessels, occasionally sinking them if they refused to be boarded.

The government reported the country loses more than US$5 billion annually in potential fishing revenue to foreign poachers. -- Antara

Jambi pushes for reforestation program

JAMBI, Jambi: Following Jambi's worst flooding in 17 years, the local administration said it would propose to Jakarta to prioritize the national reforestation program in the province.

"I will propose to the central government that the Kerinci National Park on the westernmost side of Jambi province be made a priority in the national reforestation program," said Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin on Friday.

The 1.2 million hectare national park is Sumatra's largest water catchment area, capable of irrigating thousands of hectares of farmland in the four provinces surrounding it.

Located along the Bukit Barisan mountains, Kerinci park, however, is losing its forests to illegal loggers.

The rapid rate of deforestation has contributed to the recent flooding in Jambi from mid-April to early May, during which thousands of homes were inundated and vast areas of farmland destroyed.

Water overflowed the banks of Jambi's main rivers as they could no longer contain the surge of runoff water from the national park and its shrinking forest areas. -- Antara

Bandung students walk to Jakarta

BANDUNG, West Java: Around 2,000 students from the West Java capital of Bandung are walking to Jakarta in a 180-kilometer long march to protest against Megawati Soekarnoputri's government.

Student Executive Bodies from major universities in Bandung began the long march on Thursday. They hope to reach Jakarta by Wednesday, May 21.

But on Friday, the students were held up in the town of Cianjur some 60 kilometers west of Bandung, as police refused to let them pass through the congested route through Puncak. The four-day long weekend starting Thursday had worsened traffic at Puncak, along the main route between Bandung and Jakarta.

Andreas Marbun from the Student Executive Body of the University of Parahyangan, said the protesters planned to continue their march on Saturday.

He said that for now, they were trying to get more people join the protest by holding speeches at Cianjur University of Suryakencana.

Antigovernment protests continue in many parts of the country since President Megawati tried to raise fuel prices and utility rates simultaneously in January. -- Antara

Atambua provides land for refugees

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: The Atambua prosecutors' office said on Friday it would allow former East Timorese refugees to settle for two years on land that it had seized from a deceased convict.

The offer came from the head of the Atambua prosecutors' office, Monang Pardede, said first assistant Charles Bissinglasi of the Belu regency administration on Thursday.

Charles said that at 52 hectares, the land was big enough to accommodate the almost 9,000 former East Timorese refugees in Belu regency.

The plot of land initially belonged to Yoseph Asit Manek, who was convicted in a graft case by the local court.

Prosecutors seized the land after he was unable to repay the fine the court had set. Yoseph died last year.

Although no longer refugees, many East Timorese still live in refugee camps in the protected forest of Tirta and at Haliwen stadium in Atambua. -- Antara