River pollution affects fish ponds in Ciganjur

JAKARTA (JP): The quality and quantity of water flowing into the Ciganjur Fish Hatchery complex in South Jakarta continues to deteriorate due to environmental damage in Depok and South Jakarta.

Twenty-nine fish raisers who have been living at the complex for years expressed their deep concern about the survival of the hatchery pond as they talked to several city councilors visiting the area on Monday.

"The environmental damage has greatly affected the production of fish," spokesman for the fish cultivators, Firdaus, said.

He and his colleagues expressed hope that both the Jakarta administration and the West Java provincial administration will pay attention to the problem. "Otherwise the production of fish at the hatchery will continue to decrease."

Firdaus also told the councilors that the fish raisers face financial problems in further developing the hatchery.

The Ciganjur Fish Hatchery, which is located on a 10-hectare plot of land, was developed in 1975 based on a gubernatorial decree.

The main objective of the hatchery center is to produce quality fish.

The Jakarta administration has two other fish hatchery complexes, one located in Ujung Menteng, East Jakarta, and the other in Kalideres, West Jakarta. Each was developed on a 15- hectare plot of land.

Last year the Ciganjur hatchery complex produced a total of 433,300 fish, the Ujung Menteng hatchery produced 471,950 fish, and the Kalideres hatchery 234,354 fish. The fish produced included carp, catfish, tawes, gurame, nila merah, and nila hitam.

Councilor Abdul Gani Abdullah, who chairs Commission B which oversees economic affairs, said he and fellow members of the commission will do their best to have the budget for the Jakarta Fishery Department raised. "Part of the budget can be used to boost the fish production at all three fish hatcheries," he told Antara. (bas)