Joint campaign hopes to project polluted beaches

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten

Mindful that marine pollution along the north Java coast has reached alarming levels, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs embarked on an ongoing program, titled Clean up the beach, on Sunday.

Hundreds of ministry staff, volunteers organized under a charity foundation, General Electric (GE) Elfun, boy scouts and local fishermen took to the seashore of Tanjung Pasir beach in Tangerang regency, Banten province, picking up garbage on the beach to mark the start of the program locally.

The campaign, launched by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Rokhmin Dahuri, is also aimed at regreening coastal marshes by planting 2,000 mangroves.

Dorodjatun said that the seashore along the north Java coastline needed immediate protection from unchecked pollution.

"If no immediate action were taken the beaches and their marine life would vanish within the next 10 years," he said.

The campaign came against the backdrop of the Jakarta Administrative Court verdict in favor of the controversial North Jakarta reclamation project.

The Office of the Coordinating Minister planned to hold a similar program in 100 regencies across the country.

Rokhmin said hopes that fisheries could contribute significantly to the country's exports would be dashed if the sea were constantly polluted.

"How can we expect fisheries to contribute significantly to our exports if the sea is turned into a giant pool to accommodate upstream pollution?" he asked.

The minister said of the targeted Rp 1.25 trillion (US$147 million) the fisheries sector had to contribute to the state budget this year, only $50 million had materialized thus far.

He added that 85 percent of the material that polluted Jakarta Bay was caused by activities on the mainland, ranging from chemical to human waste.

A national Clean up the beach campaign was launched on Sept. 21, 2003, at Kenjeran beach, Surabaya, East Java. Earlier, the program had been tested for its feasibility at Kronjo beach, also in Tangerang regency.

Indonesia is an archipelagic country with 60 percent of its population living in coastal areas.

However, local residents doubted the cleanup program would be effective in the long run.

"Instead of cleaning up garbage that has piled up on beaches, the government should stop pollution at its source, namely factories that deliberately discharge their waste into rivers flowing to Jakarta Bay, and litter in the city," Dulhadi, a fisherman and local resident told The Jakarta Post.

He said that the garbage that sometimes covered the beach had dealt fishermen in the village a severe blow.

"We have difficulties in getting rid of all kinds of junk, but what has been most harmful is that the garbage has driven away fish," he said.

The fisherman also said local residents were in dire need of a wave barrier that would protect their homes from coastal erosion.