Happy hunting grounds for Gunungkidul lobster fishermen

By Singgir Kartana and Manuel Perry Mesquita

GUNUNGKIDUL, Central Java (JP): The Javanese word ngrendet perfectly describes the hard slog of a day's work for lobster fishermen in Gunungkidul, Central Java, not far from Yogyakarta.

They use their nets and other basic fishing equipment to fish on the steep coastline, risking their lives with the work. Each year the ferocious waves and currents of the Indian Ocean swallow up some of the men as they try to catch lobster and shrimp at points along the coast.

Their nets are conical in shape, made of spinned fishing line, the mouth of which has a circle of iron wires. The net is equipped with a rope about 30 meters long, which functions to lift the net up when lobsters have already been trapped in the net.

The first thing they do is lay the bait of small oysters, sea snails, jellyfish and seaweed on the rocks. Next, they tie the fish bait to the net by putting them crosswise on the rope crossing the iron wire circle as the net ballast. The net is now ready to be dropped into the sea from the steeply sloping cliff.

In order for them to drop the net, they must first climb up the 70 meters to 100 meters cliff, which is at an angle of 80 degrees. They wear rubber sandals made of used car tires, but there is no safety equipment.

"Nothing more needs to be done if the lobster is already trapped inside as they cannot get out, even if the net's mouth is wide open. The more the animal wriggles, the tighter the net noose will get, binding their thorny parts," Parman, 32, who has been involved in this line of work for 15 years, explained as he demonstrated how the traditional equipment works.

The sea is indeed a major way for the people of the south coast, particularly Gunungkidul, to make a living. The area is notorious for its barren farmland and lack of water resources.

In addition to lobster fishing, many of the fishermen also search for seaweed and collect swallow's nests from small caves in the cliffs.

They earn about Rp 15,000 for collecting an average of three kilograms of seaweed, which is not as much as they would receive for lobsters. "Yet looking for seaweed is more challenging," said Tukimin, 29, a young man from Panggang, Gunung Kidul, who has only been working along the coast for six months.

On a good day they might catch one to three of the crustaceans; on a bad day, their nets might be empty.

They sell their catch to brokers; they earn about Rp 60,000 per kg of red shrimps, but Rp 140,000 per kg for lobsters, the sales of which are usually divided among the groups of three or four fishermen.

On certain occasions, like in the Javanese month of Sura, they organize ceremonial meals, which are aimed at expressing their gratitude to God, to all those participating in the risky profession of ngrendet and to ask for protection in performing their work.

If there was another safer way to earn a living, the fishermen would change professions. For the time being, this is their lot in life.