Cirebon fishermen severely affected by bad weather

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 02/07/2009 1:11 PM  |  The Archipelago 

CIREBON, West Java: Fishermen in Cirebon regency, West Java, were severely affected by strong currents and bad weather, as they have stopped fishing in the past month. 

Most of them earn their living by taking loans at fishermen's cooperatives, fish brokers or stores selling basic commodities. 

"The fishermen have stopped fishing since early January leaving them with no income," Dade Mustofa Effendi, chairman of the Cirebon branch of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (HSI), said Thursday. 

The fishermen are concentrated in five villages in Gebang, Kapetakan, Losari Mundu and North Cirebon districts.