Survivors at Lake Singkarak Begin Fishing Again Amid Recovery
Tanah Datar, West Sumatra (ANTARA) - Fishing activities by disaster survivors along the shores of Lake Singkarak resumed on Sunday following the hydro-meteorological disaster, although the community’s economic recovery is still progressing gradually.
Adisman (66), who was busy lifting fish from his net, said he began casting his nets again over the past two weeks.
Catching bilih fish, an endemic species unique to Maninjau, is one of his sources of income.
“I don’t set them every day, sometimes three times a week, sometimes two. I didn’t set them for two days recently. If there’s demand for bilih fish, then I set them; it’s not fixed,” said Adisman, who lives alone in temporary housing (huntara) in Malalo, Tanah Datar, just before Ramadan.
His catch of bilih fish today was estimated at only 0.5 kilograms.
However, on other days, the yield can reach 1 kilogram or even 2 kilograms.
If the catch is small, he uses it for personal consumption. But if it’s over 1 kilogram, he sells it to collectors at prices starting from Rp60,000 per kilogram.
He noted that this price has returned to normal, after previously rising to Rp80,000-Rp90,000 per kilogram due to limited fishing activities post-disaster.
In addition to catching bilih fish, he also gardens various crops, from cinnamon bark, avocados, nutmeg, candle nuts, to cloves.
He only recently started this gardening activity because part of his fields were previously covered in mud and rock debris.
However, the land damage from the disaster caused potential losses of up to Rp25 million, including the loss of several productive trees such as candle nuts and surian wood, which have high economic value.
“The candle nuts affected were about 7 trees, and surian wood about 6 trees. That wood is expensive; one tree can yield 2.5 cubic metres, with 1 cubic metre priced at Rp4 million. So overall, the wood could total 5.5 cubic metres,” he added.
Meanwhile, Elfi Rita, a seller of bilih fish souvenirs who also collects fresh bilih fish, said many fishermen have returned to casting nets after the November flash flood disaster.
Although the fishermen’s catches during this Eid momentum are still limited due to natural factors. However, catches were abundant in February, so during that month she stocked up.
“The catches are very low, at most 1 or 2 kilograms. In February, it could reach dozens of kilograms per fisherman. I’ve stocked 300 kilograms. Now, buying (from fishermen) at Rp70,000 per kilogram,” she said.
According to her, 70 percent of the people in Malalo depend on Lake Singkarak for their livelihood, from fishermen to souvenir business operators that absorb labour.
A total of 28 family heads (KK) are occupying huntara in Nagari Guguak Malalo. A total of 144 buildings were damaged, with overall losses reaching Rp17.2 billion.