Indonesia has yet to utilize marine resources fully

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian archipelago sits astride one of the most fertile and financially valuable marine environments on earth. Unresolved border problems and low technology levels however, are causing much of this wealth to be left beneath the waves.

A discussion on the development and management of marine resources on Saturday identified uncertain borders as the biggest problem between Indonesia and maximum exploitation of its waters.

"We need to definitively designate our borders," said Suparman A. Diraputra, a senior researcher for the Center for Archipelago, Law and Development Studies, one of the discussion sponsors.

According to Suparman, the issue of territorial ownership extends beyond recognized possession to the ability to enforce borders.

Lax police enforcement has allowed foreign vessels to fish Indonesian waters with impunity, Suparman said.

Given that the several thousand islands of Indonesia are spread across such vast distances, the nation has also been plagued by recurring border disputes with its neighbors.

A running dispute with Malaysia concerning the Sipadan and Ligitan islands has been a particular challenge to the two nations relationship.

Indonesia's marine ecosystem holds more than 2,000 different types of fish along with several thousand other marine species, luring fishermen from all over Southeast Asia.

Thai fishermen are considered the worst offenders and have led at least one official to say "the illicit operation of foreign ships is becoming a threat to national security."

Despite the negative impact these "foreign intrusions" have on local fishermen, many also lamented the unsophisticated techniques of the local fishermen.

"Our people may have a maritime culture, but in my observation it is limited to a coastal marine tradition," said House member of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, Aminullah Ibrahim.

"They will undertake long voyages abroad but fish only near the coast," he bemoaned.

Up to 98 percent of the national catch is provided by the country's two million coastal fishermen. The rest come from deep water fishing.

Since half of the national fishermen are concentrated on Java, along the Malacca strait and Bali strait, there is severe congestion and competition.

Dr. Etty R. Agoes, head of the center's marine research department, concurred with Ibrahim.

However, neither had any answers to the problem.

"Maybe we have to look back to our ancestor...we really don't know what the best solution is," she said.

Due to the large concentration on certain areas, Indonesia still has untapped fishing pools. In 1992 the country produced less than 3.5 million tons of fish, only 51 percent of the estimated annual sustainable potential of 6.7 million.

Comparing the differences from the Thai culture, Etty said, "Despite having a smaller country, Thai fishermen have a tradition of distant water fishing."

Oil

In the exploitation of oil and gas, Rudi M. Rizki stated that two-thirds of the country's oil and gas reserves are beneath the ocean floor.

Of the all underwater reserves, 42 percent are located in shallow waters, he said.

According to Rudi, the problem is that the country lacks the technology for further exploration. "The technology we use can only go as far as 200 meters...what we need to study can be as deep as 500 meters."

He stressed the urgency for exploration with the growing demands for oil and gas.

In his summary he said that based on the current consumption rate and the country's reserves to production ratio, Indonesia will deplete its oil supply in about 20 years.

"We will probably have to import oil in 10 to 15 years," he said. (07)