Thousands fishermen fail to go fishing

Thousands fishermen fail to go fishing

TANGERANG: Thousands of fishermen in the northern coastal area
of Tangerang regency in Banten province have been forced to
attempt to find alternative incomes as strong seasonal winds
continue.

HM. Noor Ali, the district head of Kosambi, where most of the
fishermen live, said the winds meant the fishermen could not meet
their everyday needs.

"We're very concerned with their condition," he told Antara
here on Wednesday.

A number of fishermen in Dadap village said that they had to
take odd jobs, such as manual laborers, until they could return
to sea in February when the winds were expected to abate.

Ali said that he was trying to persuade local businessmen to
help the fishermen by donating basic items. "But it is not good
for them (fishermen) if we continue providing their basic
necessities," he said, adding that they would also provide other
forms of assistance.

"I'll ask the Puspa Indah Foundation (YPI) to provide them
with soft credits that could be used as capital for businesses
other than the fishing business," he said.--JP