Jakarta fishermen to move to Banten

The Jakarta Post

BANTEN: The Jakarta administration has proposed to the Banten administration the relocation of 50 fishing boats from the North Jakarta ports of Muara Angke and Muara Baru to fishing areas in the neighboring province.

"(The Jakarta administration) said the two fishing ports are overcrowded ... we have to conduct a study on the social impacts of the relocation first before responding," Banten fisheries and maritime agency head Irawan Muripto said Friday.

He added that 1,500 people rely on the boats for their livelihood.

The most suitable new locations, Irawan said, are Labuan and Panimbang districts in Pandeglang regency "because the population is still low compared to other fishing areas".

Separately, Banten legislative council member M. Babay Sujawandi said the relocation would only succeed if the fishermen contributed to the province's fishery production.

"They'll fish in our waters so they should be made to sell their hauls in Banten," he said. -- JP