What is the income of sapu-sapu fish fishermen in the Ciliwung River?

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The income of sapu-sapu fish fishermen along the Ciliwung River in the Kalibata area of South Jakarta depends on water conditions, particularly during the rainy season and floods, which affect catches. “If the water is good, it can reach 20–30 kilograms (kg), but if there’s flooding, it’s at most 10 kg; sometimes we hold off because it’s risky,” said sapu-sapu fisherman Ajum (39) when met on the riverbank in Jakarta on Thursday. Ajum said that under normal conditions, he can catch around 15 kg of sapu-sapu fish per day. However, when the water flow increases, catches drop to about 10 kg. He explained that the current price of sapu-sapu fish ranges from Rp15,000 to Rp18,000 per kg. Nevertheless, fishermen’s income is uncertain due to river conditions. In poor conditions, catches are only enough to cover daily operational costs. “If it’s a bad day, it’s just enough for transport costs; a day can cost Rp100,000 to Rp150,000,” he said. Ajum usually fishes by following the river flow for five to six hours, from late afternoon to night. He uses a tyre as a flotation aid to go with the current. According to him, the job carries high risks, from strong currents to floating objects like wood and rubbish. Physical condition is also an important factor when working in the river. The sapu-sapu fish caught by fishermen are generally sold to collectors and processed into various food products such as cilok, nuggets, otak-otak, and crackers. As is known, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government will carry out a cleanup of rivers, waterways, and sapu-sapu fish in the capital on Friday (17/4). The fish are considered capable of damaging embankments and also eating other fish and their eggs, so they need to be removed. The cleanup activity also aims to improve waterways, dredge mud, and so on, as preparation for the rainy season forecast to occur in September 2026.