North Sumatra fishermen protest against trawlers

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Hundreds of fishermen from several regencies in North Sumatra province staged a rally in front of the legislative building in Medan on Monday, demanding that the government ban the use of trawlers in the province's waters.

They also demanded that Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahuri resign for what they considered to be insensitivity to fishermen's suffering, poverty and uncertainty.

"Marine regulations issued by the government have thus far catered to vested interests," rally coordinator Harris Aritonang told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Fishermen participating in the protest belong to the Alliance of North Sumatra Traditional Fishermen. They came from regencies like Asahan, Tanjung Balai, Deli Serdang, Labuhan Batu and Belwawan.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is currently preparing the draft of a presidential decree to allow trawlers to operate freely in the country, thereby revoking Presidential Decree No. 39/1980, which banned the use of trawlers.

Councillor Victor Simamora, who met the protesters in front of the local legislative building, told the fishermen that he had raised the issue with Minister Rokhmin, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Navy chief Admiral Bernard Kent Sondak.

According to Victor, the idea of allowing the use of trawlers had been proposed by North Sumatra businesspeople.

He assured the fishermen that the local legislature would oppose any attempt to legalize the use of trawlers in the province's maritime territory.

"There will not be legalization of trawls in North Sumatra waters," Victor said.

He also criticized as being insensitive to local conditions businesspeople who had asked for the legalization of trawlers in North Sumatra.

"Whoever the are, they have suggested something unilaterally without considering social realities, ecology and legal aspects of the problem. Such a suggestion comes from people who wish to exploit the fishermen. We must fight against it," he said.

He also said that the legislature would not give its blessing to any provincial ruling that allowed trawlers to operate in the province's waters.

"There will be no trawlers in North Sumatra waters," he said.