More than 400 Indonesians evacuated after ferries hit reef: official

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - More than 400 Indonesians were evacuated to safety from two ferries that plunged into a coral reef off Sulawesi island on Friday, a rescue official said.

"We have evacuated 420 passengers out of all 450 passengers aboard the two ferries which hit reefs this morning," said Roki Asikin, chief of Southeast Sulawesi's provincial rescue office.

"We are now transporting the remaining 30 passengers... There are no victims in this accident thanks to swift action from the rescue team," he told AFP.

One of the two ferries travelled off-course due to human error and the second followed in its wake several minutes later, Asikin said.

The Tagori and Super Jet provide a daily service from the South Sulawesi capital of Kendari to the port of Bau Bau.

They were travelling up to 25 nautical miles (29 kilometres) per hour when the accident occurred, he added.

A ferry sank last month off Bau Bau, which is around 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) northeast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, killing 31 people and leaving about 30 missing.

Indonesia is an archipelago nation of some 17,480 islands where both sea and air links are crucial, but safety standards are notoriously lax.

High tides affect fish farmers

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu

Rising tides in Indramayu regency, West Java, have forced farmers to harvest their fish ponds earlier than expected to avoid huge losses.

Reports Thursday indicated farmers were forced to harvest hundreds of hectares of traditional fish farms early because they had been engulfed by seawater from high tides in the Java Sea.

"The farmers had to harvest early to avoid further losses," said leader of the Indramayu Fish Farmers Association (PPTI), Nono Sudarsono.

Nono said high tides had gradually inundated some 100 hectares of traditional fish farms from Nov. 27.

The majority of damaged ponds are located in the coastal areas of Kandanghaur and Indramayu regencies.

"Most of the damaged farms consisted of milk fish raised traditionally by farmers," he said.

He added the high tides had caused farmers to suffer hundreds of millions of rupiah in damages.

"They usually harvest fish into the third month of raising, but due to the floods, many farmers were forced to harvest earlier to prevent huge losses, even though they had only raised the fish from between one to two months."

Farmers can yield 1.5 tons of fish per hectare under normal conditions, but due to the premature harvest, they have only been able to harvest half the volume.

"They can only harvest around 800 kilograms of fish per hectare at most," Nono said.

An environmentalist from the Workers and Environment Foundation (YLBH), Yoyon Suharyono, has urged fish farmers to replant coastal areas with mangrove.

According to Yoyon, replanting coastal areas with mangrove trees is crucial, since mangrove forests act as barriers against high tides. He said pounding waves could easily reach land and damage residents' homes and fish farms due to the chronic condition of mangrove swamps.

"A mangrove forest can block waves and minimize the damage, but if it's damaged, seawater can easily reach the shore and cause extensive damage," he said.

Hundreds Indonesian fishermen detained in Darwin

The Jakarta Post

BRISBANE (Antara): As many as 201 Indonesian fishermen are being held in a detention center for their alleged involvement in illegal fishing in Australian waters, an Indonesian diplomat said Thursday.

Buchari Hasnil Bakar from the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin said his office received news Wednesday 129 fishermen were being held at a detention center in Darwin.

The number may now be higher with the arrival of a further 72 fishermen recently arrested by Australian police, Buchari said.

He said police had seized around 1.1 tons of sea cucumber (a protected species in Australia) along with fishing and diving gear they used to catch them.

Buchari said, last week Australian Customs Service had arrested another 118 Indonesia fishermen in 12 boats for illegal fishing in Australian waters.

On Nov. 21, police rescued 16 fishermen from eastern Indonesia after their boat sank in the Timor sea and then arrested them for illegally entering Australian waters. Their cases are currently being processed at the immigration office on Christmas island, West Australia.

26 Indonesian sailors feared dead: officials

Taipei (ANTARA News) - Twenty six Indonesian sailors are feared dead after their Panamanian freighter hit rough seas off Taiwan's north coast, officials said late Wednesday.

Television images showed coast guards plucking one surviving sailor from the sea, but transport ministry official Ho Wen-chih said he feared the others were dead.

"I'm afraid the other people are dead. After all, the chance of surviving (in) such bad weather for a whole day is really low," Ho told AFP.

Taiwan's coast guards launched a major sea and air search Tuesday after they received distress signals from the Mezzanine, Ho said.

The surviving sailor told rescuers the ship was submerged barely five minutes after tonnes of water gushed into the cabin of the ship, loaded with iron ore from Indonesia.

The survivor said he was on the ship's deck when the accident happened, allowing him time to throw himself to the sea.

"Given the emergency signals, the ship may have sunk," Jeffrey Tsao, another transport ministry official based in the northern Keelung Harbour, told AFP.

The accident happened as the ship was heading to the Chinese port of Tianjin.

The coast guards said the search for the missing sailors would not end before the 72-hour period in which they estimate people could survive is up.

RI lost 24 islands by disasters, environmental damage: minister

Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has so far lost 24 islands because of natural disasters and environmental damage, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said here on Thursday.

He said four islands disappeared when a massive tsunami devastated Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province on December 26, 2004, while 20 others in Riau province and in the Seribu island group in Jakarta Bay had also vanished because of unbridled exploitation and environmental damage.

Consequently, Freddy Numbery said, the total number of islands in Indonesia had declined from 17,504 to 17,480.

"Scientists have even predicted that Indonesia could lose at least 2,000 islands by 2030 if the government fails to anticipate it and take preventive measures," the minister said.

Therefore, the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry had recounted the islands in Indonesia and reported the result to the United Nations, Numberi said.

The minister said one of the ways to prevent more islands from disappearing was preserving their environments, especially their forests and seas.

VP gives port operators two years improve Tanjung Priok Port

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla gave the seaport operators in Indonesia two years improve and develop Jakarta`s Tanjung Priok port into one of the best in Southeast Asia.

Currently, Tanjung Priok port is comparable only to the port in Cambodia, by inferior to those in Singapore and Thailand, the vice president said when making an inspection of Tanjung Priok port on Wednesday.

In developing a sea port, there must be clear sectors, Kalla said, adding that the container sector, for instance, must be separated form the car export-import and cargo terminals

The vice president earlier dedicated the Jakarta Car Terminal whose activities include loading and unloading cars for exports, imports and for domestic needs.

The inaugural function was marked by the mooring of 172-meter MV Fuji Transworld Voyage 83 which unloaded 979 imported Toyota cars of different types from Thailand, Japan and Singapore.

After the unloading operation, 250 Toyota and Daihatsu cars were loaded onto the vessel for export to Thailand and Japan.

The vice president said, "if we think of car export-imports, there must be a special port to preserve the cars".

On the domestic need of cars, the vice president said it would be difficult to distribute cars to the regions in the country, if such a special port was not yet in place.

Pertaining to the smuggling of luxurious cars into the country, he said the cars managed to enter Indonesia in containers.

"Luxurious cars were always smuggled into the country in containers and it is to be dealt with by customs personnel, not the port authority," he said.

Global, regional warming to blame for Jakarta floods

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Jakarta's regular floods can be partially blamed on global and regional warming, a scientist has said.

"This will get worse in the years to come. It has been estimated that by 2050, 25 percent of Jakarta will be inundated," said Armi Susandi, a climate change expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on Wednesday.

He added that poor city planning, bad zoning systems and a lack of infrastructure were contributing to the problem.

Armi has studied flooding in Jakarta since 2005. He received his Ph.D on climate change in 2004 from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

He said regional climate change such as has take place in Jakarta has the potential to increase local temperatures, "inviting" more rain.

"The city's severe pollution has created regional warming. This warming has moved the rain from Bogor in the south to Jakarta in the north," he said.

"We have managed to record and identify the pattern of the shifting rain -- how the rain keeps moving to Jakarta. The increase in the city's rainfall rate could reach up to 5 percent per year," he said.

Global warming has also increased the sea level north of Jakarta by 0.57 centimeters per year. The increasing sea level and the lack of a buffer zone due to the decreasing size of the mangrove forest that once covered the area would certainly aggravate the erosion of the beach and floods in the coastal areas of the city, he said.

He added that the fact that the city's land has sunk by 0.85 centimeters per year due to the pressure imposed by concrete buildings and skyscrappers as well as the massive exploitation of underground water springs hasn't helped the city in dealing with the worsening floods.

Armi said that currently 40 percent of the city already lies below sea level.

The government, he said, should construct a buffer zone in the coastal areas to prevent the sea's waves from entering the city. The buffer could be made of mangroves or a six-meter-tall concrete wall.

"When dealing with climate change-related problems, our country has a very low adaptation capacity. In fact, all we have to do is decide whether we will plant mangroves or construct a wall. Otherwise, we need to relocate the residents who live along the coastal areas," he said.

"In January 2008, the floods, I believe, will be worse than the ones we had in 2007 provided that the rainfall rate doesn't change," he said.

Police search for U.S. national

SURABAYA, East Java (Jakarta Post): East Java Police are still searching for John Bernard, a U.S. national allegedly involved in the trade of protected species of seashells.

East Java Police criminal division deputy chief Snr. Comr. Rusli Nasution said Tuesday he believed Bernard was still in Indonesia.

"The police are still investigating the case. It seems the suspect exported the seashells, which are worth billions of rupiah, from Situbondo to America," he said.

He added that the police previously had arrested a truck driver, identified only as SW, on the Gempol-Surabaya highway. Inside the truck, police found 480 boxes of shells. The truck was on its way to Tanjung Perak Port.

"SW shows us a document stating that the container was filled with handicrafts belonging to PT Niaga Segara Transindo. But when we opened the boxes in the container we found a large number of rare, protected seashells," he said.

Besides SW, the police have also detained three staff of PT Niaga Segara Transindo and declared them suspects in the case.

They have been identified as YT, IM and DN.

The suspects say that the U.S. national purchased the shells from fishermen in Situbondo. One container of shells cost Bernard Rp 500 million (approx. US$50,000) and could be sold for Rp 3 billion (US$300,000).

Rusli said the shells included the Yellow Helmet (Cossis cornuta), Melo Amphora (Melo corona amfora) and Perlized Nautilus (Nautilus pompilis). -- JP

City to fix flood system in response to tides, rains

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration says it will improve Jakarta's flood management system to tackle floods caused by rain, high tides and global warming.

"We will soon upgrade the existing flood management system making it suitable for our present environmental conditions," Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday.

Fauzi said the administration had built embankments to deal with high tides but said they were only a short-term solution, as Jakarta's flood management system needed to be able to respond to global warming.

He said the administration would improve the dam system, which pumps water in the city out to sea or into canals throughout Jakarta.

"The Netherlands, for example, which has a lot of land beneath sea level, uses pumps to expel water back to sea which come on automatically if the sea level changes ... We haven't applied such a system yet," Fauzi said, as quoted by Antara.

A 2.2-meter-high tide submerged Pluit and Penjaringan subdistricts Monday, disrupting traffic and forcing residents to flee their homes in North Jakarta's coastal areas.

Fauzi said the city administration, through the Public Works Agency, would renovate several embankments in areas affected by the tides.

Previously, head of the Public Works Agency's water and coastal resources management unit, I Gde Nyoman Soewandhi, said the floods in North Jakarta were caused by the damaged Pluit and Muara Baru embankments which could not hold the high tide back.

Nyoman said Monday some 20 meters of the Pluit embankment was damaged due to the high tide. The Public Works Agency repaired the embankment using river stones reinforced with iron and sand sacks, but on Tuesday said other parts of the embankment had also burst.

According to Nyoman, the damage was related to the age of the construction -- almost 20 years.

In 2007, the administration allocated money from the budget to renovate and raise the Muara Angke embankment by 30 centimeters.

"We can't delay the construction. We must raise Pluit and Muara Baru embankments by next year, otherwise city dwellers living nearby will be in danger," he said.

The Central Jakarta administration is currently restoring river embankments to anticipate floods at the peak of the rainy season in December.

"The work is part of Fauzi Bowo's first-100-days agenda," Mayor Muhayat said.

The river embankments being restored are near Jl. Teuku Umar, Jl. Diponegoro (opposite Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital), Jl. Cikini Raya, Jl. RP Suroso and Jl. Cempaka Putih Indah, to name a few.

Some 10 areas prone to floods in the municipality are Matraman Dalam, Kali Pasir Kwitang, Kebon Kacang, Pejompongan, Jati Pinggir, Karang Anyarm, Mangga Dua, Gunung Sahari, Serdang and Cempaka Putih.

Muhayat also said his administration was currently preparing rubber dinghies, boats and life jackets to respond to floods. (tif)

High Waves to Peak on December 8

Wednesday, 28 November, 2007 | 13:03 WIB,

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Jakartans are asked to be on the alert as high waves are still a threat for the capital city’s northern coast.

The Indonesian Naval Hydrology and Oceanography Agency has estimated that high waves will reach a peak this December 8.

“These could be worse than the current ones,” said Major Saroso, Head of the Oceanography Section at the Hydrology and Oceanography Agency, yesterday (27/11).

According to Saroso, on December 8, the high waves will reach their highest point of the whole year.

The reason is the date coincides with the dark of the moon, when as usual, in the cycle of Qomariyah moon system, tides will rise.

In addition, the high tides will culminate because in early December, it is predicated that Jakarta will have rain.

Strong winds from south of the equator at speeds of 12 knots will also pull sea water towards the land.

“This will enlarge the water flow,” said Saroso.

During peak of high tides, according to Suroso, the height of waves may reach 2.2 meters.

High tides reaching 1.2 meters have hit the Jakarta coast since last week.

The high tides breached the sea water dike in Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Monday evening (26/11).

In a short period of time, sea water flooded almost the entire north and west parts of Jakarta.

So that sea water flooding does not happen again, next year Jakarta Provincial Government will build a dike of one kilometer long in Muara Baru.

“We propose a budget of Rp15 billion,” said Public Works Service Head, Wisnu Subagyo.

FERY FIRMANSYAH | RUDY PRASETYO | SUTARTO | AYU CIPTA

Navy nabs vessel carrying logs to Malaysia illegally

Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - Personnel from the Indonesian naval base at Tarakan intercepted a motor vessel named `Uru Cina` which was carrying 30 cubic meters of logs to Tawao, Malaysia illegally, spokesman of the Navy`s Eastern Fleet Command, Lt Col Toni Syaiful, said here on Wednesday.

He said the vessel was stopped and detained in Batu Putih waters, Berau district, East Kalimantan, because its skipper failed to produce the required documents.

The boat`s skipper, Irwan, could not show the required permit to sail and bill of lading for 150 logs his boat was transporting to Tawao, Toni said.

CP Prima inks deal with local shrimp farmers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

PT Central Proteinaprima (CP Prima), a member of Neptune consortium that manages Asia's top aquaculture company -- PT Dipasena Citra Darmaja, has signed a key agreement with local shrimp farmers.

CP Prima, the world's top integrated shrimp producer and Indonesia's market leader in shrimp fry, shrimp feed and fish feed production, signed Friday the partnership agreement with the farmers, who are grouped under PT Wachyuni Mandira (WM) in an arrangement called a "core-plasma" scheme.

This means WM acts as a nucleus for making loans, training and supervising the farmers and they in turn sell their produce to the company.

The agreement also establishes standard operating procedures for profitable, sustainable shrimp farming, according to a media statement.

"After two months of intense discussion we have come to an agreement on the substance. This will of course provide business certainty that benefits both parties," said Rizal Shahab, CP Prima's corporate communication director, in the statement.

He did not elaborate on the substance of the agreement.

The farmers will now work on some 20,000 hectares of dedicated land with some 3,220 shrimp ponds.

CP Prima is currently also in the process of securing the license to develop another 30,000 hectares of land, according to Rizal.

Herwindo, chairman of the Indonesian Fishery Entrepreneurs Association, welcomed the deal, saying this would benefit all stakeholders involved, including the government.

He also thinks the other, smaller companies in the industry may be able to apply the partnership model developed by CP Prima.

CP Prima's operations extend to frozen shrimp, probiotics, poultry feed and poultry day-old-chick (DOC) farming.

Company-wide, CP Prima now has 50,000 hectares active in shrimp farming and provides over 38,000 jobs, including for 12,500 full-time workers.

RI urges CCSBT members to lift embargo on its tuna exports

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has urged Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) member countries to lift their embargo on Indonesian tuna exports.

Indonesia made the request during the 14th CCBST meeting held in Canberra recently, the head of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry`s Statistical Data and Information Center, Saut Hutagalung, said here Thursday.

The commission had clamped trade restrictions on Indonesia and deprived it of chances to export its tuna to CCSBT member countries, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, he said.

"At the Canberra meeting the Indonesian delegation conveyed its views that the time had come to lift the trade restrictions," he said.

The Indonesian delegation also took the opportunity to explain the latest developments in coordination and consultation meetings among government agencies, including their meeting with stakeholders in October 2007, he said.

When it came to tuna catch monitoring which became a contentious issue at the meeting, Indonesia was open to cooperate with CCSBT members, he said.

Citing an example, he said Indonesia had established cooperation with Australia, Japan and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

Sympathy for endangered species on the rise in Bali

Alit Kertaraharja, The Jakarta Post, Singaraja

Balinese people's awareness of the importance of protecting endangered animals is on the rise, as indicated by the release of newly hatched baby turtles into the sea by fishermen in Seririt, Buleleng, on Tuesday.

The fishermen set free 15 of 85 baby turtles, which belong to an endangered species protected under Law No. 5/1990 and a 1999 government regulation.

Local fishermen also released nine adult turtles into the sea earlier in the year. "This ceremony was the first to be conducted by the fishermen. But their awareness of the importance of protecting endangered animals has been improving since the release of the nine adult turtles earlier this year," Sulanyah village head Gede Sutarma said during the release of the 15 baby turtles.

The turtle release was witnessed by Seririt district head IGN Wiarsana, the head of the Bali Natural Resources Office, Putu Citra S.A., and the founder of the Pemuteran turtle project, Christ Brown.

Sulanyah beach has long been known as a favorite site for turtles to lay eggs. Local people often find eggs scattered across the sand. Many of the eggs are eaten by dogs or simply collected by residents for consumption.

"Basically they didn't know how to care for the eggs until they hatched, until now," Sutarma said.

About two months ago, local people found an adult turtle that was ready to lay eggs. Unsure what to do, they contacted Brown, who has been developing the Pemuteran turtle project in Gerokgak district.

Following Brown's suggestion, the local people collectively tended and protected the turtle until it finally laid 350 eggs.

On Nov. 17, 85 of the eggs hatched and 15 of them, which were strong enough to survive, were released into the sea.

The rest of them are being raised in the Pemuteran project's nursery until they are of sufficient size to be released.

About 250 eggs are being kept on the nearby beach. "We are waiting to see whether they are going to hatch," said Sutarma, who acted as the coordinator of the baby turtle release.

Bali has been in the spotlight over the last few years as it is considered to be a location where turtles are butchered for their meat. Protests have come from many parts of the world with urgent calls to the government to end the slaughter.

Their protest is understandable as the endangered turtles, which can be found in all oceans throughout the world, belong to the global community. The turtles frequently emigrate long distances in a relatively short period of time. They can travel 3,000 kilometers in 58 to 73 days, according to experts' observation.

Turtles have various cycles to lay eggs from once in two years, to once in eight. Turtles that once laid eggs on Indonesian beaches can frequently be found around Hawaii.

While male turtles spend most of their time at sea, the female ones go to the beaches when they are about to lay eggs. On the sandy beaches, the female turtles lay eggs and bury them in a hole. Out of hundreds of eggs laid by a female turtle, only dozens reach the sea.

West Sumatra to export frozen fish to US

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA News) - an Indonesian fish processing industry PT Denpo Andalas Samudera (DAS) in West Sumatra will start exporting frozen fish to the United States as of December 2007.

"In the initial export, we will ship 10 tons of frozen fish to the US," President Director of PT DAS Subakti Kurnia said here on Thursday.

West Sumatra will export tuna, grouper, and sea perch in 20 containers which will be shipped to the United States through Teluk Bayur Harbor, West Sumatra Province, he said.

Australian Navy rescues 16 from sinking boat off northwest coast

The Jakarta Pos

CANBERRA (AP): Australia's navy rescued 16 people, 10 of them children, from a boat sinking in rough water off the northwest coast, the defense department said Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear whether they were trying to seek asylum in Australia, or where they were from. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the three men, three women and 10 children had set off in wooden boat from Indonesia's Rote Island.

Two navy patrol boats were diverted to assist the 10-meter-long vessel after workers on an offshore mining rig saw it taking on water Tuesday, a defense department statement said. Naval officers rushed to the scene and pulled all 16 passengers from the overcrowded boat as it sank in rough seas.

Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said immigration officials were working to determine the identities and nationalities of those rescued.

Many asylum seekers set off from Indonesia in rickety boats bound for Australia.

In February, the Australian navy intercepted a boatload of 83 Sri Lankans, the largest group of asylum seekers to try and reach Australia since 2001, when the Norwegian vessel Tampa rescued 433 mostly Afghan asylum seekers from a sinking Indonesian ferry and attempted to take them to Australia.

Prime Minister John Howard refused to allow the ship to dock on Australian soil, and eventually adopted a hardline policy of refusing to allow asylum-seekers to reach the Australian mainland by boat.

Fishermen hamper mangrove reforestation efforts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Efforts to revitalize Jakarta's dwindling mangrove forests in Muara Angke have been hampered by local fishermen farming shrimp and fishing in the designated conservation area, a ranger from the Forestry Ministry told The Jakarta Post last week.

Angke Kapuk mangrove reserve ranger Resijati Wasito said fish farmers had cleared approximately 80 percent of the 100 hectare wetlands.

The reforestation program has been hindered by fishermen rearing milk fish and shrimp and removing mangrove trees and their roots, he said.

"It's hard to deal with the illegal fishermen. We've asked them to leave, because this conservation area belongs to the Forestry Ministry, but they keep returning.

"They damaged seedlings we planted, and even threatened us with machetes to try to stop us planting more trees," Resijati said.

He said there were currently some 30 fishermen and their families living in shanties in the Angke Kapuk reserve, even though the land was acquired by the ministry in 1988.

Resijati told the Post the government also gave compensation to fishermen who left the area, but those efforts appeared to be fruitless.

"We continue to ask them to leave because we have no authority to expel them. We've also asked for military personnel to protect new trees," he said.

The reserve has changed substantially with the fish farming. Where once stood a shady forest of mangrove trees, now there are only milk fish ponds.

In 2002 the Forestry Ministry and the reserve developer, PT Murindra Karya Lestari, planted some 50,000 mangrove seedlings, but most of them were uprooted by fishermen, leaving only around 100, Resijati said.

Since 2004 some 14,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted with better supervision. Around 10,000 can now be seen near the ponds.

Resijati said left undisturbed it would take seedlings nearly 10 years to grow into a forest.

Kapuk Angke natural reserve, together with the nearby Muara Angke wildlife reserve and protected forest, are the only remaining mangrove forest sites in Jakarta, whose coastline stretches some 32 kilometers from east to west. The three reserve sites total some 170 hectares.

Most of Jakarta's mangrove forests have been cleared not only for fish farming, but also for building developments, which have an even greater environmental impact, Resijati said.

He said mangrove forest wetlands play a crucial role in slowing the abrasion of beaches, protecting the city from big ocean waves and flooding, and serve as a nursery for marine life and a feeding grounds for a large number of animals.

The forests, he said, also function as green belts, protecting groundwater in nearby areas from salination. (wda)

Thousands of fish die in Kuta

The Jakarta Post

KUTA, Bali (Antara): Thousands of dead fish washed up on Kuta beach in Bali on Tuesday.

Antara reported tourists who had been planning to swim off the beach were forced to cancel plans.

Authorities suspect the fish died at least two days ago before washing up on the beach on Tuesday.

Badung administration spokesman Eka Merthawan said laboratory tests would be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.

Sulawesi's Tomini Gulf 'badly in need of protection'

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

Tomini Gulf is one of the biggest bays in Indonesia, bordering 13 regencies in the Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi provinces.

The bay hosts 56 islands -- called the Togean Islands -- which are spread over 90 kilometers at the center of Tomini gulf.

Among them are six big islands including Batulada, Talatakoh, Togean, Una-Una, Waleabahi and Waleakodi.

The others include beautiful, small islands surrounding the six larger ones and all are continually visited by European tourists.

Based on a biodiversity zone division, Tomini Gulf is located in the Wallacea zone -- which is historically separate from Asian and Australian continents.

The name Wallacea is after the English researcher Alfred Russel Wallace, who explored eastern Indonesia in 1854-1862.

The bay is famous for its underwater beauty and is perceived as a heaven for divers -- it's said to be a home to many coral reefs and various colorful species of fish.

Parigi Moutong Regent Longky Djanggola recently told The Jakarta Post that in 2003 former president Megawati Soekarnoputri declared Tomini Gulf the gate of "Mina Bahari".

Parigi said the gulf area was a mainstay for increasing state income, as well as for providing more jobs for local people.

The Sulawesi Regional Development Cooperation Office, or Badan Kerjasama Pembangunan Regional (BKPRS), reported however that some gulfs in Sulawesi, including Tomini Gulf, had been damaged by excessive development.

The damaged areas reported included coral reefs, mangrove forests and the banks of rivers that emptied into the Tomini Gulf.

The most obvious damage could be found in Togean Island National Park in Tojo Una-Una regency, Central Sulawesi, said the BKPRS.

Data from the provincial planning board indicated 8.7 percent of coral reefs, 4.6 percent of algae and 5.11 percent of mangrove forests had been damaged.

Tojo Una-Una Regent Damsik Ladjalani said the damage was caused by illegal fishing and local habits that included throwing garbage into the sea.

And he said this was despite efforts by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has declared Tomini Gulf one of world's treasures in need of protection because it has valuable marine assets.

The Central Sulawesi administration reported the local sea produced about 330,000 tons of fish each year, of which 214,000 tons was processed annually.

Fishermen seek pelagis fish, tuna and oil (cakalang) fish, along with shrimp, seaweed, sea cucumbers and pearls.

Batam sees rosy shipyard business

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam

The Transportation Ministry has said Batam Island in Riau province has the potential to cash in as a center for the shipyard industry, especially given the high cost of building and repairing ships in Europe and elsewhere in Asia.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said Friday Batam's shipyard industry had three advantages over other shipyard centers both here and abroad.

Batam has skilled workers and the technology to produce ships at competitive prices, he said at the launching of the MV United Ocean coal ship produced by PT Trikarya Alam Shipyard in Batam.

"We also see the shipyard business in European and other Asian countries is declining due to high operational costs.

"Batam (can seize the opportunity), taking over ship-making orders...."

To support the development of Batam's shipyard industry, Jusman said his ministry would work to ease permit procedures.

"We are very happy when a ship is built by Indonesians, flies the Indonesian flag and is operated in Indonesia. Batam has a great opportunity to be able to do that," he added.

He said his office was meeting with shipyard businessmen in Batam to better understand the obstacles the industry faces related to his ministry's authority.

"Many in the industry complain the permit process is too slow. We plan to ease permit procedures in the future to help the industry here develop," Jusman said.

Riau Governor Ismeth Abdullah said his administration planned to set up a taskforce to deal with shipyard-related problems.

The move would help the booming industry, especially in Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands, he said.

He added the taskforce would be directly supervised by the transportation minister, and if a problem was serious enough it could be reported directly to the President.

Some 80 shipyard companies operate in Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands with a total investment of around US$1 billion.

Sixty-one companies are located in Batam, 15 in Bintan and four in Karimun.

"Civil servants trying to blackmail or otherwise hinder the industry's growth in Batam, Bintan or Karimun will be fired," Ismeth said.

According to the Batam Shipyard Offshore Association, the three islands were a preferred relocation site for shipyard businesses from Singapore.

Singapore reportedly plans to restrict the expansion of its shipyard industry due to environmental considerations.

The association's secretary, Kusmareni, said one of the problems faced by shipyard companies in Batam was accusations by non-government organizations the industry damages the environment

."The accusations turn us into an target, being asked for money by a local NGO under allegations of damaging the environment. We want the local government to pay attention to the problem," she said.

RI, Brunei navies end joint exercise

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian and Brunei navies ended a week-long joint military exercise codenamed "Helang Laut-10A/07" in East Java on Friday.

The exercise which involved 20 Indonesian naval officers and 18 Brunei naval officers focused on procedures and tactics of sea surface war, electronic war and anti submarine war, Col Asep Burhanudin, deputy chief of the exercise command at the Eastern Indonesian Fleet Command, said when closing the exercise.

In the exercise, the two navies conducted a joint sea patrol to safeguard sea lanes and protect each other`s national interests, he said.

Five warships consisting of three from the Indonesian Navy and two from the Brunei Navy took part in the exercise. The Indonesian warships were KRI Malahayati-362, KRI Singa-651 and KRI Badik-623, while the Brunei warships were KDB Waspada and KDB Satria.

Asep said the exercise was aimed at improving the professionalism of the two navies as well as at fostering their friendly relations.

Ship Investment Increases in Special Economic Zones

Friday, 16 November, 2007 | 17:38 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Batam: Riau Islands Governor, Ismeth Abdullah, said that foreign investment in ships is increasing, especially in special economic zones (SEZs), Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

So far the Riau Islands government recorded that investment was US$1 billion. In Karimun, the preparation for welcoming a Korean investor, who will invest US$500 million, is taking place. The company is a consortium which built the largest dockyard in Southeast Asia, able to absorb 40,000 workers.

Ismeth explained, Karimun will be transformed into a shipyard industry area, as it has an adequate sea depth as well as a competitive land lease.

According to Ismeth, in Bintan there are five ship industry companies investing, 15 in Karimun; Batam is for the industry development.

Batam Authority Chief, Mustofa Wijaya,, said there are 71 companies in the ship industry in his territory. Out of that number, 80 percent are located in Tanjung Uncang, and the remaining in Sekupang. As in Rempang and Galang Islands, it will be decided later as the areas are specific for tourism. “But the shipyard industry is still possible,” he said.

Mustofa acknowledged that the land for the shipyard industry in Batam is no longer available except for development. Out of 255,000 workers in Batam, 75,000 are working in the ship industry and the remaining in the electronics industry in 23 industrial zones.

Rumbadi Dalle

Greenpeace activists block Indonesian palm oil shipment to protest rain forest destruction

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (AP): Environmental activists are blockading a shipment of palm oil from Indonesia to protest the destruction of rain forests that they say goes hand in hand with the planting of the crop.

With a banner reading "Palm Oil Kills Forests and Climate," Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior was anchored next to an India-bound palm oil tanker at Dumai port on Sumatra island, the group said in a statement Friday.

Activists maintain the crop is planted on forest land cleared by fires that unleash millions of tons of carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas. They say this defeats the purpose of developing palm-based biodiesel fuel as a renewable source of energy that does not contribute to greenhouse gases.

"The logging, draining and burning of Indonesia's peat land forests releases a massive amount of stored carbon back to the atmosphere," said Sue Connor, Greenpeace International forests campaigner. "That is why we're here."

The protest comes three weeks before scientists and government ministers from around the world were set to meet on the Indonesian island of Bali to come up with ways to slow the pace of global warming.

The blockade of the ship laden with 33,000 metric tons of palm oil began on Thursday, Greenpeace said.

Developers in Indonesia have been planting vast tracts of oil palms to tap into a surge in global demand for biofuels.

They say the planting is taking place on long-since deforested land, but green activists allege that pristine forests are being chopped down and torched to make way for the crop.

Greenpeace claimed the exporter, Permata Hijau Sawit, had sourced palm oil from companies involved in the destruction of rain forests and the starting of forest fires on Sumatra. It was not immediately possible to contact the company for comment on those claims.

A Greenpeace spokesman said police had not attempted to end the blockade.

Indonesia was aiming to export 17 million metric tons of palm oil in 2007, according to government statistics.

Marine sector 'holds future of tourism'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The future of tourism in Indonesia revolves around the promotion of coastal areas and the involvement of local communities in environmental conservation efforts, a marine tourism official said Thursday.

Currently a mere 10 percent of foreign and domestic tourists visit coastal areas in Indonesia, despite widespread international recognition of the country's marine attractions, the secretary general of the Indonesian Marine Tourism Association, Didien Junaedy, said.

He said the natural environment was the key draw card in such areas and that any developments made to attract tourists should not have a negative impact on the environment.

"That is why marine tourism should not be designed or developed to become mass tourism. If we made it similar to land-based tourism, which is mainly mass-based, it would be very difficult to maintain the environment," he said at a discussion on improving marine tourism.

He said in order to develop Indonesia's marine tourism sector in an eco-friendly way, the government would need to have a very sound regional design plan, which prioritized environmental conservation in coastal areas.

"The government must be able to control development, even if it means a quota is placed on the daily number of tourists allowed to visit certain areas," he said.

Didien said Indonesia could easily compete with other countries around the world in terms of marine tourism.

"The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is nothing compared to the reefs in the Wakatobi Islands, which is the longest atoll in the world. And Raja Ampat in Papua can easily beat the Caribbean Islands."

Deputy regent of the Thousand Islands regency Abdul Rahman said preserving the environment and improving infrastructure were crucial aspects of developing the tourism sector.

"We are still striving to bring electricity to the Thousand Islands. We have already built underwater cable connections for the purpose.

"At the moment people use generators that run for about 15 hours, which is very inefficient and also produces a lot of pollution," Abdul said, adding that a longer airstrip had also been built in the regency.

He said tourism in the Thousand Islands regency had contributed to a reduction in poverty in the area.

"People are not only benefiting from tourism economically, but they have also become more environmentally aware and they realize the islands' economic potential depends on the environment." (uwi)

US `reconnaissance` boat moors at Bali port

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - A US `reconnaissance` boat, GeoExplorer, has been moored in South Benoa port, Bali, since Thursday, Adj Comm Gusti Arbawa of Benoa`s Water Police Directorate General, said here on Friday.

He said he believed the US patrol boat which arrived in Bali on Thursday was likely to help monitor security conditions in the runup to the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali on December 3-14, 2007.

"We have no idea what the real tasks and functions the US boat will carry out here," he said.

The boat was equipped with sophisticated devices to detect security threats in the runup to the arrival of US President George W Bush in the Indonesian tourist resort island of Bali.

But one of GeoExplorer`s crew members, Sudett, said the boat was sent not to carry out a reconnaissance mission. "The boat will only carry out scientific surveys, namely oil deposits on land and in the sea," he said adding that the boat`s skipper was Mike.

In the meantime, security officers were optimizing their preparations to ensure that the UNFCCC would run smoothly.

Water police officers were mobilizing four patrol boats and two NBO-150 helicopters.

The Police Headquarters will send 300 units of four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles to strengthen security measures during the UNFCCC event.

RI asks A`lia to treat its fishermen better

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has asked Australia to treat its traditional fishermen who had been caught tresspassing that country`s territory while fishing better.

"We respect their sovereignty and law but they must also treat our fishermen more humanely," the chief executive of the Sea Security Coordinating Body (Bakorkamla), Rear Admiral Djoko Sumaryono, said here on Wednesday.

He said after meeting chief of the Australian Border Security Command, Commodore James Goldirk, that many Indonesian traditional fishermen were not familiar with international rules particularly in border areas.

"They do not speak English. They have had minimum education because they live in coastal areas," he said.

He said Indonesia had also asked the Australian government for information on legal process in case of border violations.

"Many of our fishermen do not know why they are arrested. That is because they did not realize that tresspassing the border is illegal. Therefore it would be better if the Australian government would give them proper legal aid," he said.

In response to this, James Goldirk said a mechanism had been made available for helping the Indonesian fishermen.

"We have even cooperated with the Indonesia government to assure that the fishermen are treated well," he said.

He said the Australian government had also given legal aid to those who had met the requirements. "So not all fishermen get legal aid. But we always talk with the Indonesian government on how we could help the fishermen," he said.

He admitted Australia and Indonesia had made efforts to give the fishermen knowledge about Australian law and the two countries` border regions.

"It seems the efforts were successful because the number of fishermen arrested continues to drop. Meanwhile we always tried to deport the fishermen that we have caught as soon as possible, while the legal process is continuing," he said.

Goldrik said only a few fishermen were actually jailed, and facing no charges were immediately sent home.

According to data of the Ausralian embassy here a total of 359 Indonesian-flagged boats were caught in 2006 for poaching Australian territorial waters.

Until April this year Australia had caught 26 Indonesian fishing boats.

Successful Joint Malaysia-Indonesia Maritime Operation

ALOR STAR, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- A 10-day coordinated operation by Malaysian and Indonesian enforcement agencies in the Straits of Melaka codenamed "Ops Patkor Optima", which ended yesterday, had achieved its objectives.

Ops Patkor Optima director, Commander Wan Burhanuddin Jusoh said the Malaysian enforcement agencies detained three of 108 vessels they inspected under the Fisheries Act 1985 and Immigration Act 1959.

The Indonesian agencies, meanwhile, detained two of 455 vessels they checked under the Fisheries Act, he said in a statement here today.

However, the statement did not state where the vessels were registered.

The annual joint operation was aimed at maintaining peace and security in the Straits of Melaka to prevent piracy, smuggling and activities which contravene the maritime law.

Wan Burhanuddin said it was also aimed at improving the security and confidence of vessels plying the Straits of Melaka that the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities could ensure their safety.

Seven ships and four aircraft from the Malaysian enforcement agencies and eight ships and one aircraft from the Indonesian side with a total 450 personnel took part in the operation.

The Malaysian enforcement agencies involved were the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Royal Malaysian Air Force, marine police, police's air wing, Customs, Fisheries Department, Marine Department, Immigration Department, Department of Environment, and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

The Indonesian agencies involved were the Indonesian armed forces, navy, Directorate General of Customs and Excise, coast guard, police and Immigration Department.

The operation was launched at the Indonesian naval base (Lantamal) by Lantamal 1 First Admiral Al Sadiman SE at Belawan, Sumatra on Nov 1.

Malaysian Maritime Coordination and Enforcement Centre director, First Admiral Datuk Pahlawan Mohd Rashid Harun closed the operation in Langkawi today.

Bali to build new cruise ship port

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Bali provincial administration plans to build a special port for cruise ships at Labuan Amuk in Karangasem in a bid to help boost tourism on the resort island, an official says.

Putu Ardana, head of the Bali Transportation Office, said the infrastructure costs for the port project would be covered by funds from the state budget amounting to Rp 130 billion (US$14,400).

The project is expected to be completed in 2009, he said, adding the port would be designed to accommodate large-scale single or double-deck cruise ships measuring 360 meters by 50 meters.

"The completion and operation of the port will constitute the first cruise ship port in Indonesia," said Karangasem's transportation office head, Nengah Parwata.

The first stage of the project is currently underway, he said.

Putu said Labuan Amuk was considered to be the best location for the construction of the new port as it was near a deep sea lane.

Ardana compared it with Benoa harbor, another alternative location.

"In Benoa, the water is too shallow and it would be too difficult to dredge. In Labuan Amuk, there is no need to dredge," he added.

He added the infrastructure currently being built included office buildings, a berth, terminal, health and security posts, immigration office and other supporting facilities.

According to Karangasem Tourism Office data, a number of cruise ships frequently made stops at Padang Bai Port, near Labuan Amuk Port, en route to Lembar Port in Lombok.

One such cruise ship is the Costa Marina, which berthed there on Feb. 4 and 5, 2007, transporting about 772 passengers.

Next month, a cruise ship with as many as 2,000 passengers and another with 684 passengers is expected to berth there, while next year three other cruise ships - the Amsterdam, Black Watch and Silver Whisperalso plan to berth in Bali.

Parwata said cruise ship passengers were usually senior citizens. Using small boats they land at Karangasem for one or two days.

"Some of them visit Karangasem and surrounding areas, including Besakih, Candidasa and others. Several others go to Ubud or Kuta," he said.

Parwata said in order to support the port project, the Karangasem regency administration had cleared a 1.5-hectare plot of land. The surrounding areas, which consisted mostly of agricultural land, had also been blocked to prevent any alterations, he said.

Compensation was still being negotiated, he added.

The Bali Tourism Alliance has hailed the project.

"We support it because it will diversify our tourist arrivals," said the alliance's coordinator Gusti Kade Sutawa. He urged the provincial administration to carefully prepare its spatial planning to avoid unexpected impacts.

Kade Sutawa also proposed the preparation of professional human resources to help introduce Bali to the passengers.

"Local people will be appropriate in these positions as they know a lot about Bali."

Parwata added the many cruise ships that berth in Padang Bai or Benoa usually did so to refuel or get supplies. With the operation of the new port, the cruise ships would be able to drop off and pick up passengers from Bali. Travel agents would be able to arrange travel arrangements from the port as well, he said.

Up until now, passengers wishing to enjoy the beauty of the eastern parts of Indonesia have been forced to board cruise ships in other countries, like Singapore.

"With the operation of the port, tourists can fly to Bali and enjoy Balinese culture before boarding the cruise ships or vice versa," Parwata said.

With the completion of the port project, Bali will be able to obtain additional income. The use of transportation services and accommodation will surely increase too, he said.

From Bali the cruise ships could go eastward, for example to Lombok, Fores, Alor, Sulawesi and Papua, Parwata said, adding the port would also benefit these other regions.

20 Indonesians sailors rescued off eastern China

The Jakarta Post

BEIJING (AP): A Chinese fishing boat rescued 20 Indonesian sailors after their ship sank off eastern China, but 11 Chinese fishermen were still missing after their boat sank in a separate accident, state media reported Monday.

Xinhua News Agency said the 20 crewmen were rescued after their Panama-registered ship sank early Sunday off the coast of Zhejiang province. Their ship was going from Papua New Guinea to Jiangsu province with a load of wood, and sailors were rescued by a Chinesefishing boat, Xinhua said.

The rescue came as 11 Chinese fishermen were reported missing and presumed dead after their boat sank after hitting a cargo ship, also off the coast of Zhejiang province.

Xinhua said it was not known if the two accidents were connected.

Only the captain of the fishing boat survived, Xinhua said. It gave no other details.

Unpad opens fisheries research center

BANDUNG (The Jakarta Post): Padjadjaran University (Unpad) held a seminar on the Strategy for Sustainable Fishery and Marine Development as part of the inauguration event for its new fisheries and tropical ocean research center.

The head of the National Development Planning Board, Pazkah Suzetta, delivered the seminar's keynote speech.

Also speaking at the event were fisheries and marine research head Indroyono Soesilo of the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry, and Bayu Krisnamurthi, agriculture and maritime deputy under the Coordinating Minister for the Economy.

The fishery and marine seminar aimed to improve public and student awareness on the importance of the fisheries and maritime sector in developing the national economy.

Sunda Strait Festival not affected by Krakatau`s activities

Bandarlampung (ANTARA News) - The Sunda Strait Festival which will be held to celebrate the 51st anniversary of South Lampung district will not be affected by Krakatau lesser`s volcanic activities, a local official has said.

"There is no official information about prohibition to hold events including shipping activities on the Sunda Strait due to Krakatau lesser`s activities so that the festival remains to be held," spokesman for the South Lampung district administration, Sugiarto, said here Sunday.

The festival will have many activities and most of them will take place on the sea like a swimming contest to cross the 38-kilometer long strait and a traditional rowing competition on November 30, 2007, as well as a jet ski exhibition and parachuting attraction on December 1.

"The cross-country competition on Mt Rajabasa will be held on November 12, and a 10-K race on November 13," he said.

E. Kalimantan cities seen as gateways for trafficking

Nurni Sulaiman and Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post, Balikpapan, Jambi

Tarakan and Nunukan are the two East Kalimantan cities most likely to be used as gateways for human trafficking because of their proximity to Tawau, a ferry port in Sabah, eastern Malaysia, a high-ranking police officer said.

"Nunukan and Tarakan are two border areas close to Tawau, and most of the illegal migrants cross over from these two cities by ferry," East Kalimantan Police spokesman Wayan Tjatra told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Nunukan recorded a higher incidence of human trafficking than Tarakan. As of November this year, police in Nunukan had uncovered nine cases involving 11 victims between the ages of 15 and 22.

Three of the victims, Risa, 16, Warianti, 22, and Sriyanti, 17, all from South Sulawesi, became suspicious while still in Nunukan after being told they were not allowed to leave the house and heard they would be sold in Tawau using fake border passes.

They ran away and reported the incident to police.

Maryati, and Maria, both 19, Yunita, 17, and Musyarofah, 20, were not as fortunate. A human trafficking syndicate smuggled them into Tawau, where they were sold as sex workers.

The syndicate initially told them they would work as shop assistants in East Kalimantan.

More than 30 similar cases have been reported in Tarakan and Nunukan since 2005.

A person can ferry to Tawau from either city for Rp 250,000 (approximately US$27.70). From Tawau, he or she can continue overland to almost any city in eastern Malaysia.

According to Wayan, human trafficking activities are difficult to monitor due to the close-knit nature of the trafficking syndicate and the relatively simple procedures necessary to obtain border passes.

Police have identified 15 suspects involved in nine trafficking cases, but four of them are still at large.

The East Kalimantan Police say they will assign more officers to its posts in Tarakan and Nunukan to combat the problem.

Separately, the Jambi City Police, in Sumatra's Jambi province, took into custody two individuals suspected of human trafficking.

The men were identified as Bambang, 40, and Hadi, 45. They allegedly tried to smuggle 103 Indonesian workers to Malaysia.

"They were both arrested in Jambi on Oct. 31 when they were about to send 103 illegal migrant workers from Jember, Tuban and Madura Island in East Java, to Malaysia. The workers -- 51 women and 52 men -- all returned to their homes on Nov. 2," Jambi City Police chief Sr. Comr. E Daniyanto said.

The suspects have been placed under city arrest.

"We have not detained them in our prison because they have promised not to flee. Both suspects have also been cooperative during the investigation," he said.

Both suspects confessed to sending illegal workers abroad on a regular basis, he added.

Fishermen net rounds of ammunition

The Jakarta Post

Five fishermen found more than a hundred rounds of live ammunition at Mamboro beach, North Palu, on Thursday.

They found 104 5.56 mm caliber rounds and seven .38 mm rounds.

The five fishermen, Israel, 35, Raisman, 32, Larry, 29, Ispan, 28, and Jimmy, 32, found the ammunition before fishing in Mamboro, a coastal area some 12 kilometers from Palu.

Israel found the first bullet while searching for snails to use as bait. The four others then began finding more ammunition nearby.

"We finally stopped searching for snails and started looking for more bullets. We were so surprised to find 111 bullets," Israel told The Jakarta Post.

The fishermen reported their discovery to the police's elite Mobile Brigade, located three kilometers from the beach.

"To tell you the truth, we are quite terrified to find so many bullets in one location," Israel said.

Head of the North Palu Police, Adj. Comr. Sirajuddin Ramli, said the police questioned the fishermen and examined the site.

"We are running intensive investigations to find the owner of the ammunition," he said.