North Sumatra fishermen protest against trawlers

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.