Lampung fishermen seek Rp 1b in redress

Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Fishermen in Lampung have accused a sugar cane plantation company of polluting waters off the province's Pelabuhan Panjang, killing thousands of tons of fish.

The Lampung Fishermen's Association (SNL) urged that PT Gunung Madu Plantation (GMP) be taken to court and be ordered to pay damages of more than Rp 1 billion.

"We are demanding Rp 1.2 billion in damages. The money will be distributed to around 220 fishermen as compensation for their not being able to go out fishing for three months," SNL Secretary- General Joko Purwanto said on Saturday.

He said the amount was based on the calculation of fishermen's incomes over three months based on Rp 40,000 each per day.

Joko said other plantation firms located along Lampung bay should also be prosecuted for their contributions to the pollution.

The protesters also demanded that GMP be held responsible for the rehabilitation of the ecosystem in Pelabuhan Panjang waters, and apologize through the newspapers.

SNL Chairman M. Yamin said hundreds of local traditional fishermen had been prevented from fishing in Lampung Bay for more than one week after they found that the fish they were netting were mostly dead.

He said that since the pollution was detected last Thursday, the fishermen's catch has dropped drastically.

Yamin could not say exactly how many thousands of tons of fish had been killed by the pollution.

The director of Lampung's Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Mashuri Abdullah, confirmed that Lampung bay was seriously polluted.

"For sure, the marine ecosystem for up to one or two kilometers out from the coast has suffered serious damage, and this has caused a significant reduction in the fishermen's catch," he explained.

He said that based on Walhi's investigations, the pollution was coming from a leak in the pipeline carrying sugar cane waste from PT GMP to the Paros Velleta, a waste transporting ship.

"As the wind has been very strong lately, the pollution has quickly spread to other areas. So the extent of the pollution has been becoming greater," Mashuri said.

Gunamarwan, GMP manager of service, business and finance, admitted the leak in his company's waste pipe.

"It is the first time this has happened since the pipeline started operating 11 years ago," he claimed.

He promised that PT GMP would take responsibility for the pollution, but did not elaborate.