Residents swarm to shrimp ponds

Residents swarm to shrimp ponds

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people swarmed to shrimp ponds in
Salembaran Jaya village, Kosambi district on the Teluknaga coast
yesterday, waiting to get their share in the shrimp harvest.

Carrying nets, residents -- including children -- stood on the
muddy banks of the ponds under the hot midday sun, hoping to
collect some remaining shrimps after the scheduled harvest took
place.

About 1.5 tons of shrimps were stolen from ponds on Monday
night by 2,000 people who raided the area, causing Rp 180 million
in losses.

The people who swarmed to the area yesterday came from several
local villages, such as Lemo, Tanjung Pasir, Salembaran Jaya,
Ketapang and Rawa Lumpang.

"I heard that there is going to be a big harvest this
afternoon," said Sutar, 32, one of the villagers.

One shrimp-pond attendant, Uding, said that Monday night's
theft was the first incident ever to occur in the area.

"It seemed that a group of hoodlums were taking advantage of
the situation by pushing and inciting people to raid the ponds,"
he said.

Another villager, however, said the incident would not have
happened if the pond owners asked nearby residents to participate
in the harvest.

"They (the owners) usually invite people from faraway villages
to help them," said the resident.

Shrimp pond owners in the country commonly observe an
unwritten rule which allows local residents to collect shrimp
remaining in the ponds after the harvest has taken place.

Local administration staffer Ahmad Yasir added: "The owners
even never introduced themselves to Pak Hermansyah, our camat
(district head)."

Dozens of military personnel on motorcycles were seen on guard
at the scene.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho
Djajoesman said yesterday that police had questioned 80 people
allegedly involved in the plundering of a shrimp pond in
Tangerang on Monday.

"We are currently investigating the case. If there is strong
evidence that these people were involved in the looting of the
shrimp pond then we will prosecute them," Noegroho said.

However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of the
pond's owners, whom he said had failed to establish a good
relationship with local villagers and authorities.

"If they had discussed their problems and come to an
understanding then Monday's incident could have been prevented.

"The owners should have developed a close and friendly
relationship with local residents to prevent theft and violence,"
he said.

"Shrimp harvests take place at regular intervals so the owners
should have easily been able to predict the villagers' actions,"
Noegroho added. (edt/41)