Sleman offers fishermen a new beginning

Sleman offers fishermen a new beginning

Bambang M, Contributor/Yogyakarta

The regency of Sleman has its own way of taking care of the environment. Instead of simply banning people from using electricity to catch fish, it is also offering them a new beginning -- on land.

The regency has been long been home to hundreds of people who make a living by killing fish in local rivers with electric currents. The traders then sell the fish in markets.

The Sleman Agricultural and Forestry Office estimates there are about 400 fishermen who use electricity in the region. Ecological experts are concerned about the damage this unusual type of fishing is doing to the area's fish populations.

These "electric" fishermen usually use 12-volt storage batteries, or a small engine to create the current. This current kills or stuns all fish in a radius of about two meters.

It is unclear when fishing using electricity became fashionable in Sleman. Fishermen, however, find the method very effective. A fisherman, Budiyono, said he could get about four kilograms of fish a day, which he sold for Rp 7,500 a kilogram.

However, it's the effectiveness of this method that is the biggest threat to the environment. The current does not just kill the big fish but all the other river creatures as well, including plankton, baby fish, and fish eggs.

"In the long run, this particular method of catching fish is endangering the river's natural diversity. This ecosystem could be completely destroyed," biologist Djoko Raharjo of Duta Wacana Christian University's School of Biology said.

Although comprehensive scientific studies have yet to be made, there are already signs of the damage electric fishing does.

Some species of fish, including wader, (Puntius spp), are becoming more difficult to find in local rivers. Wito Wiguno, a traditional fisher who uses nets or hooks and lines to do his job, said he found it increasingly difficult to catch fish in local rivers.

In order to prevent the environment from further damage, the agricultural office was offering fishermen with a new livelihood, office head Achmad Yulianto said.

Initially some 400 fishermen were invited to attend motivational meetings design to mentally prepare them to switch professions. Only those who went to 80 percent of the meetings were allowed to go on to the next part of the program and receive start-up capital to buy either ducks or lambs.

"Each participant gets 10 lambs (nine female and one male) or 50 ducks to start with," Yulianto said.

The office hopes to transform the fishermen into successful duck or lamb breeders.

"Since joining the program, I rarely go fishing using an electric current. I only do so once every two months," Ahmad Roni, who previously fished about once a week, said.

The regency now plans to prohibit restaurants in the area from buying fish killed by electricity, especially wader, a favorite menu in local restaurants.

People in the regency believe their scheme could be a model for other regions in the country, which face similar environmental problems.

A good slogan for the region would be: "In Sleman, We Save Our Natural Diversity".