Police chase shipwreck treasure hunter

Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/30/2010 9:48 AM

Facing jail ... Queensland treasure hunter Mike Hatcher. (brisbanetimes)

Authorities are hunting Michael Hatcher, a foreign shipwreck treasure hunter believed to be operating in Indonesian waters.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said Thursday he dispatched a joint investigation team to pursue Hatcher.

“I have received many reports about [Hatcher] and his illegal activities. I told my men to monitor Hatcher’s movements at sea,” Fadel told The Jakarta Post.

National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi confirmed a team of water police had been assigned to arrest Hatcher.

“We have identified his boat. We are now monitoring his activities,” Ito said.

Fadel said he did not know Hatcher very well. “But since I began serving as a minister in 2009, [Hatcher’s] name has been mentioned as a famous treasure hunter,” the Golkar politician said.

Hatcher has been widely known as a shipwreck treasure hunter since the 1980s.

Hatcher is believed to be an Australian national, but reports say he may hold both British and Australian passports.

His main area of operations is reportedly the Malacca Strait between Sumatra and Malaysia, Bangka-Belitung, Java, and in the South China Sea near Thailand.

According to Endro Soebekti Sadjiman, the coordinator of NGOs grouped in the National Assets Rescue Consortium, Hatcher’s latest operation was in Blanakan waters, Subang regency, West Java.

Endro said he believed Hatcher was after porcelain from the Ming dynasty.

“A porcelain plate or bowl from that era could fetch US$20,000. If there are thousands down there, just imagine the losses the state may suffer [if they’re stolen],” he said.

According to the consortium, Hatcher went to Blanakan following his recent discovery of the wreck of a Dutch ship named De Geldermalsen in East Bintan, Riau Islands, from which he recovered Chinese porcelain that was sold at auction in Amsterdam for $20 million.

“There are many other ‘Hatchers’,” Endro claimed.

Head of the National Committee of Excavation and Utilization of Valuable Objects from Sunken Ships at the ministry, Aji Sularso, said the joint team of investigators began hunting Hatcher two months ago.

The team comprises officers from the water police, Navy, police, and civil servant investigators from the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

“Hatcher is smart. He moves quickly and unpredictably if he thinks we’re on to him,” Aji told the Post.

The 2002 Cultural and Heritage Law stipulates that illegal treasure hunting is punishable by up to five years in prison and Rp 50 million ($5,500) in fine.

“Hatcher can also be charged under the Criminal Code on theft of state assets,” Aji said.

Aji said the government had identified 493 shipwreck sites across Indonesia, many of which have been looted.

“Most of the ships were Dutch, Chinese, and Portuguese which sank in the 1600s,” he said.

According to Aji, there are currently six companies permitted to salvage underwater treasure.

The law states that half of the haul’s proceeds belong to the state.

Related Articles:

Treasure Hunter Resurfaces to Deny Theft Allegations

Deep sea plunder: Gold Coast salvager in shipwreck row

Government Investigating Foreign 'Treasure Hunter' After New Discovery

Dumai coastal erosion reaches ‘alarming pace’

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru | Fri, 04/30/2010 10:07 AM

The coast of Dumai in Riau province is facing further coastal erosion due to damage to mangrove swamps, resulting in tides from the Malacca Strait slam against the shore, eroding up to 7 meters of coastline annually.

One of the worst-affected locations is Puak Beach in Teluk Makmur subdistrict in Medang Kampai.

Local community leader M. Nasir Efendi said the land between the coast the main road in the village had receded by more than 250 meters.

“When it was built in 1956, the distance between the road and the coast was around 300 meters, but now, during high tides, seawater reaches some sections of the 5-kilometer road,” Nasir told The Jakarta Post.

He added that residents had repeatedly requested government action to reclaim the coastline to save the village from high tides, but that the local administration had only built a wave barrier.

“What else can we do? The cost of coastal reclamation is too high, but residents still hope a dam will be built along the whole coast,” he said, adding that currently, only on a small stretch of the coast had a dam.

Nasir estimates that Teluk Makmur subdistrict would be washed away in the next 15 years without immediate action.

“If the rate of abrasion is on average 5 meters annually, the sea would reach the village in the next 10 years,” he said.

Dumai Environmental Agency head Zulfa Indra said the pace of coastal erosion in Dumai had reached an alarming level.

Apart from eroding land, he added that the waves could also extend the cliffs along the coast up to two meters inland.

Coastal erosion is not limited to Teluk Makmur subdistrict, he said. The coast along Pelintung Industrial Zone is also undergoing rapid erosion. “A large part of the mangrove swamps that previously served as a coastal barrier have vanished,” he said.

“Changes in land use have caused widespread mangrove forest destruction.

“Mangrove swamps still remain in a number of locations, but they are still young and require special care and supervision,” he added.

Zulfa said his agency faced difficulties curbing the pace of coastal erosion due to limited funds.

Last year, he said, the Dumai city budget allocated only Rp 3 billion (US$330,000) to maintain coastal areas, forcing the agency to postpone coastal barrier projects in a number of locations.

“The available funds won’t cover the length of coast that need to be protected from the waves,” Zulfa said.

He expressed hope that the Dumai municipality would approve the Rp 5 billion budget proposed by his agency for coastal maintenance this year, adding that the funds would be used to continue delayed projects and mangrove reforestation carried out over the past year.

“The budget approval very much determines the pace of mitigation efforts of coastal erosion that has threatened the lives of local people,” he said.

Zulfa said his agency had replanted 10,000 mangrove seedlings in a number of areas prone to coastal erosion, of which only 60 percent would survive, while the rest are expected to die or be swept away by waves.

“Only mature plants can survive the pace of erosion, that’s why we still need maintenance funds for the next several years to ensure the young plants continue to thrive.

“Young mangrove trees cannot mature naturally in current conditions as they could be swept away by waves.

“These young trees are also prone to forest clearing, so they must be tended to and supervised,” he said.

Nasir estimates that Teluk Makmur subdistrict would be washed away in the next 15 years without immediate action.

Jeren Kiring crowned junior surf champion

The Jakarta Post, Tim Hain, Contributor, Kuta | Fri, 04/30/2010 12:25 PM

Thirteen-year-old Jeren Kiring claimed the 2010 Rusty GromFest Series Under 16 Division top place at Kuta Beach.

As the Under 16 Series champion, Kiring receives an all expense paid trip to Australia.

In Australia he will compete with other international GromFest winners in the 15th Annual Rusty GromFest at Lennox Heads this coming July.

It will not be his first trip abroad. This budding young surf star has been to Australia before and traveled to New Zealand in January to participate at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships with the Indonesian Junior Surfing Team.

In the previous two events of the three-part Rusty GromFest series, Kiring surfed to second place at both Keramas Beach and Canggu Beach, putting him out in front of the series point standings to be selected to compete at the final Kuta Beach event.

On the beach after competing, Kiring said he was overjoyed.

"After coming second place at Keramas and again at Canggu, it feels good to get first place to end the series," Kiring said.

"Then to take the Under 16 division series victory and be invited to go to Australia is perfect."

If this young man keeps up his pace, he has the potential finish the 2010 season as the Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour Champion.

In the Under 14 division, the day belonged to Nyoman Alit.

The overall Under 14 division series win, however, was taken by Komang Sastrawan.

Sastrawan was placed third at the Keramas event and finished second at Kuta Beach.

Sastrawan was also one of the recipient's of the Coca-Cola Youth Encouragement Award.

The award also came with a custom-made surfboard for his performance at the Keramas event.

All finalists received prizes such as Rusty branded clothing and accessories, and Sony Ericsson cell phones.

They also received Creatures brand board grips and leashes, free surfboard art and repairs from Freedom Surf shop among other products from event sponsors Sabre, Macbeth, Stomp, Zinka and Walls.

The Rusty GromFest Series Bali 2010 was part of the Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour and is a yearly event created by Rusty to help develop surfing in Bali and throughout Indonesia.

Govt license sought for Cilamaya port

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung | Fri, 04/30/2010 10:11 AM

The West Java provincial administration has called on the central government to speed up the issuance of the principal license for the development of Cilamaya port in Karawang.

The port, when completed, is expected to be able to ease Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port’s cargo load by about 14 percent.

The head of the West Java Development Planning Agency, Denny Juanda, said the province had not yet received the written license from the central government. “What we have so far is just a verbal assurance and statements in media,” he said on Thursday.

He added the Cilamaya port would mean efficiency for businesses in term of expenses and timing of their product shipment. This in turn will improve their competitiveness, he said.

West Java industries and factories, according to Denny, constituted 6 million twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) a day or some 45 percent of Tanjung Priok’s cargo.

Stagnation at Tanjung Priok, he said, had caused financial losses to the industry due to delays of up to five days in shipping as ships had to queue before being able to leave the port.

He said the compensation the West Java provincial administration had to bear from the delay reached up to Rp 10 billion in 2005 and is predicted to increase to Rp 18.81 billion this year.

“We won’t take the entire industry from Tanjung Priok to Cimalaya. But at least it can serve as the main feeder for the port,” Denny said.

He added that state-run port operator company PT Pelindo II had expressed commitment to manage Cilamaya as a hub-port to reduce the long queue at Tanjung Priok.

A European community consortium, PT Eurocorr Indonesia, worked with Dutch DETEC NV to finish the feasibility study in 2008 and planned to develop Cilamaya as a European-standard port.

JICA (Japan for International Cooperation Agency), he added, had also been funding a master plan study on the development of Cilamaya conducted by the Transportation Ministry scheduled to be completed by July this year.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s West Java chapter asked that industries had access to an export-import port zone that was void of social problems and traffic congestion.

Chairman Agung Suryamal Sutisno said the port would be important to guarantee the security and speed of the exports to get to the buyers’ hands abroad in time.

He added that Tanjung Priok was no longer feasible as West Java’s main export-import gate as containers first had to travel Jakarta’s city toll roads that were plagued by traffic jams.

The Cilamaya feasibility study shows that it is on average a 15-hour turn-around to Tanjung Priok from Bandung. While to Cimalaya it is only a 10-hour turn-around.

The difference is considered Cilamaya’s competitive advantage.

Malaysia-Bound Timber Seized in Malacca Strait

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 29 April, 2010 | 19:00 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Patrol unit of the provincial customs office in Sumatra sezied about 2,500 logs of timber in the Malacca Strait from a vessel heading to Malaysia early on Thursday (29/4).

A message sent by the Public Communication Chief of the Customs and Excise Directorate in Jakarta Evi Suhartantyo the patrol unit of Tanjung Balai Karimun customs office, North Sumatra, intercepted a nameless and flagless vessel at about 2 am today in Tanjung Sempayan.

The vessel was captained by a Riau resident and was traveling from Batu Pahat, Malaysia. Evi suspected the logs were cut down illegally in Riau Province, no report on the type of the timber.

NALIA RIFIKA

The Flintstone: finding hard-to-reach fossil fuels

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 28 April 2010 - 2:00pm | By Thijs Westerbeek van Eerten

(Photo: The Art of Dredging)

There's still a lot of oil and gas under the earth's crust, but it's often buried extremely deep or found in barren locations subject to extremes of heat or cold. If you want to extract such costly energy sources and transport them to the civilised world, you'll need a brand new ship to make it possible.

The Flintstone is a 'fallpipe ship'. It's owned by the Dutch offshore specialist Tideway and has just been launched in Singapore. The ultramodern vessel has been designed for the exploitation of 'impossible' oil and gas fields. It can also simplify the laying of undersea energy cables intended to carry, for example, green energy from sea-based wind farms to land.

But what is a 'fallpipe ship'? Tideway Director Hugo Bouvy explains.

"A 'fallpipe ship' is a vessel used in the extraction of oil and gas to protect pipelines and cables with broken stones. It's a ship that carries an enormous cargo of stones that it can place - with the aid of an extremely long pipe, made from aluminium - in precise locations at extreme depths."

Such a layer of stones prevents damage to the pipe or cable by ships' anchors or fishing fleet dragnets.

GPS at sea

The ship is positioned with the aid of an advanced navigation system, a sort of GPS for the sea. This is carried out on the seabed by a travelling robot, which places the pipe under the belly of the ship exactly above the pipeline or cable.

The Flintstone has an exceptionally long fallpipe: one that descends 2,000 metres from under the ship. Until now, the record length for a fallpipe was 1,000 metres. What this means is that oil and gas fields previously not worth the effort of reaching can now be commercially exploited.

Icebreaker

The ship also has a reinforced hull, similar to that of an icebreaker, so that it can be deployed in frozen seas. Under these lie stocks of oil and gas that, up to now, have been unreachable. All in all, it provides a good deal of 'flexibility' in the world's reserves of fossil fuels, says Hugo Bouvy:

"In this way oil and gas can be extracted until approximately the end of this century. The problem becomes not so much the availability, but more the 'recoverability' due to the extreme conditions of their location".

Windfarms

Of course, the director of Tideway knows that oil and gas supplies are finite and that sustainable energy, such as that produced by offshore wind farms, will play an important role in the near future.

But the Flintstone can also make a valuable contribution in that area, too. Because although current-carrying cables from wind farms don't lie at great depths, there are a lot of them and they travel over enormous distances.

The Flintstone is now afloat, but its completion will take approximately another year. However, its first voyage has already been planned, says Mr Bouvy:

"It will go straight to Nova Zembla [an archipelago in the Artic Ocean, north of Russia]. A gas-drilling platform will be built there close to the surface. Rocks will need to placed around it to ensure that it remains stable".

And this means that on its first voyage, the Flintstone will do exactly what it was built to do, because up to now exploitation of the Nova Zembla gas field had been considered commercially unfeasible.

Fishermen Attack Power Plant Construction in West Java

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 28 April, 2010 | 20:41 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Residents around a coal power plant in Cirebon, West Java attacked and damaged facilities of the plant in protest over sediments formed at the delta of Warudur River due to the construction of the plant.

Residents and fishermen from nearby villages set fire one motorcycle and damaged six others and smashed windows of facilities around the construction site of Kanci Power plant after contractor of the project PT Cirebon Elektrik refused to meet the protesters.

Residents said sediments in the river bed especially at the delta section have disrupt their fishing and demanded the company to restore the river bed.

The attack finally started at three pm local time as no delegate from the facility sent to talk to protesters, which also injured pChief of the Cirebon Resort Police Adjutant Senior Commissioner Sufyan Syarif.

Police deployed two companies of crowd control unit and the Mobile Brigade to control situation and Adj. Sen. Comm. Sufyan Syarif no protesters were held. Sufyan said he had contacted regent of Cirebon Dedi Supardi to settle the problem and said a meeting will be held tonight at the offcial residence of the regent between regional authorities and fishermen.

Hundreds of fishboats in Warudur river ran aground the shallow bed at the delta especially during low water debit, which terribly affects fishing.

IVANSYAH

Government Investigating Foreign 'Treasure Hunter' After New Discovery

Jakarta Globe, Markus Junianto Sihaloho, April 28, 2010

A piece of porcelain from the Tek Sing shipwreck dating from 1822. Michael Hatcher, who discovered the historically important wreck, is again drawing the attention of government officials after a new discovery. (Photo courtesy of Artancient.com)

The government said on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into the activities of alleged treasure hunter Michael Hatcher, who has a lengthy history with Indonesia and is believed to again be operating on a new discovery.

Aji Sularso, an official with the National Committee for Salvage and Utilization of Valuable Objects from Sunken Ships (Pannas BMKT), said it had established a joint investigation team comprising related government institutions.

“We are investigating the case,” Aji said.

Aji was responding to complaints by the Consortium for Rescuing National Assets (KPAB), which alleged the ministry had not responded to its report regarding Hatcher, who may hold both British and Australian passports.

Speaking during a news conference in Jakarta, Endro Soebekti Sadjiman, a member of the consortium of nongovernmental organizations, said they believed Hatcher and his associates had been operating in Indonesia since 1986 and had surfaced in a “secret mission in Blanakan waters” near Pamanukan, Subang, West Java.

“The government must arrest him,” Endro said.

Daniel Nafis from Inside Indonesia, another member of the coalition, said Hatcher began operating in Indonesia salvaging the Vec De Geldermalsen shipwreck in East Bintan waters, Riau Islands province.

Items from the ship reaped $15 million during auction at Christie’s Amsterdam, he said.

It was this incident that led the government to establish Pannas BMKT to supervise any further salvage missions, Daniel said.

In 1999, Hatcher allegedly discovered the Tek Sing shipwreck near South Sumtra waters. According to some Internet accounts, the vessel is described as the “Titanic of the East,” given the loss of life associated with the sinking in 1822.

It has been described as one of the most important antique shipwrecks ever discovered.

Along with local company PT. Pratama Cakra Dirga, Hatcher was able to salvage Rp 500 billion ($55 million) worth of treasure, mainly Chinese porcelain, he said.

“The government found out about this illegal operation only after Australian customs officials contacted Indonesian officials,” Nafis said. “They said 43 containers full of porcelain were ready to leave for Germany,” Nafis said.

He said Hatcher had been working with officials from local company PT. Comexindo Usaha Mandiri in Blanakan since 2008.

Nafis said they had already confirmed that the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) had not issued authorization for Hatcher to be operating in the area.

Pannas BMKT, meanwhile, said it had issued permit for Comexindo, but Nafis said it was issued on August 11, 2009, which he alleged meant activities prior to 2009 were illegal.

“We have a copy of a letter from the local Navy commander that Hatcher was allegedly involved in the illegal salvage by Commexindo,” Nafis said.

“It’s clearly legal violation. We had submitted this complaint to the Marine and Fishery Ministry since April 14, but until now the government do nothing,” he said referring to the complaint that Pannas BMKT now said it was acting on.

Nafis said the activity violated Article 27 of Law No. 5/2002 on Cultural and Heritage Objects, which carries a maximum jail term of five years in prison and or a fine of Rp 50 million.

The latest find in Blanakan is also understood to be a shipwreck, though no other information was available.

Treasure hunter Michael Hatcher is said to be operating on a new discovery in Subang, West Java.

Related Article:

Heat Turned Up on Shipwreck Treasure Hunter

Fishermen strike a balance with coral reefs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 04/28/2010 11:13 AM

Nothing in nature goes unreciprocated.

Just ask the coral farmers of Panggang islet, Thousand Islands Regency, who earn a living from harvesting the coral reefs that stretch across the island’s 700 hectares of waterfront and in turn nurture the revival of that delicate ecosystem that once was on the verge of destruction due to illegal fishing activities.

“In 2004, the government banned the harvesting of naturally occurring coral and reinforced bans on the use of explosives and cyanide in fishing,” said Ilham, 29, a resident coral farmer of the islet.

“Since then, I have noticed that the corals have gotten healthier and have multiplied.”

Ilham started farming naturally occurring coral in 2001, but in 2004, following the ban, he switched to farming transplanted coral, a move he found difficult at first, but was empowered by training from the local administration, the national marine park and The Indonesian Coral Reef Foundation.

He said farming coral was similar to farming the earth.

First, he grafts branches from naturally occurring coral. These grafts, which are then transplanted on to a specially made rack of PVC pipes, will act as the primer seeds for the growth of the new coral.

Once the primary grafts, known as mother colonies, have begun to grow on the scaffolding, Ilham cuts them into smaller fragments and then transplants them onto new scaffoldings, which will then be sold off.

“I have 120 racks, 50 of which are for coral fragments. Every rack holds 64 fragments, which I sell for a minimum of Rp 5000 (55 US cents) each after they have reached desirables sizes within four to eight months,” he said, adding that the other 70 racks were mother colonies, which were not for sale.

He said coral farmers such as himself entered exclusive agreements with exporters, known as foster fathers, who would buy a full rack for Rp 250,000.

“The foster fathers supply the corals to countries in Europe as well as Singapore and the Philippines,” Ilham said.

“I can earn a minimum of Rp 500,000 for harvesting 100 corals per week, totalling around Rp 2 million per month,” he said.

Head of the resource development division of Terangi, Idris, said Ilham was one of 13 coral farmers who worked with 22 active foster fathers under the strict supervision of local officials who monitored the corals’ health as well as sales procedures.

“Farmers rarely buy their own racks because they have not learned how to manage their money properly to turn their profits into investment,” he said.

The head of the Thousand Islands’ third coral growing region, Sugeng Purnomo, said that rules governing coral harvesting stipulated that a three-party memorandum of understanding be signed by the foster fathers, farmers and the national park to determine sales prices and harvest quantity.

Farmers must also officially report how much they spend on planting and harvesting.

Muhammad Syahrir, from Terangi’s coral reef resource management division, said the coral reefs were vital because they protected the islands from sea erosion.

“Coral reefs are also home to many kinds of fish. Without them, fish stocks will become depleted, which would result in unemployment for many fishermen on the islands,” he said.

“Besides, corals are natural barriers that protect these fragile islands from erosion caused by waves.” (gzl)

Hundreds to take part in Sail Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 04/27/2010 4:27 PM

www.sailindonesia.net

Around 220 participants from 22 countries across the world have confirmed their participation in the 10th of Sail Indonesia, which will start on July 24.

According to the annual sailing rally’s official website www.sailindonesia.net, the participants will depart from Darwin, Australia, and enter Indonesia through Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Provincial tourism agency official Ubaldus Gogi told tempointeraktif.com on Tuesday the participants would visit Rote Ndao, Alor, Sikka, Nagekeo, Ende, South Central Timor and Labuan Bajo.

After spending a few days in Kupang, some the participants would take part in the Sail Banda in Maluku, while some others would visit Bali.

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NTT awaits Sail Indonesia participants

Sail Banda 2010 (official Website)

Most "Sail Banda" activities to take place in Ambon

Maluku`s historical sites being restored for Sail Banda 2010

More articles related to Maluku ....

Pirates Kill Thai Fisherman off Malaysia

Jakarta Globe, April 26, 2010

Kuala Lumpur. Suspected Indonesian pirates have shot dead a Thai fisherman off the northern coast of Malaysia, police said Monday.

Hatta Mohamad Zin, local police chief in Penang state, said seven pirates approached the fishing vessel and opened fire late Sunday, killing a 24-year-old fisherman.

Another Thai on the fishing boat said he suspected the pirates were from neighboring Indonesia, based on their appearance.

“All of a sudden the boat came towards us and one of them opened fire,” he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

Hatta said the pirates fled without stealing anything after seeing the fisherman lying in a pool of blood.

Agence France-Presse

After the Aceh Quake, Mud Volcano Causes Concern

Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman, April 26, 2010

A new undersea mud volcano is erupting off Aceh following a massive earthquake there earlier this month, a 15-member geological assessment team sent to the province has confirmed.

Officials, however, were quick to add that the new volcano was unlikely to pose a threat.

“Based on our visual observations, the volcano is not dangerous. But we are going to conduct an in-depth analysis this week of the samples we collected, so we will have a definitive answer,” said Ridwan Djamaluddin, director for mitigation and regional development at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

Ridwan said the volcano, located near Banyak Island off the coast of Singkil district, was currently 30 meters in diameter and eight meters tall.

Local residents have claimed the seabed in the area has risen dramatically since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake on April 7.

Before the quake, the waters around Gosong Turak reef were 20 meters to 30 meters deep, but now were just five, said Mufliadi, a Banyak Island resident.

Villagers have reported seeing an undersea fissure spewing out mud and rocks, and are worried an undersea volcano could be forming, he said.

Mufliadi said the phenomenon was first noted a week after the earthquake by a fisherman who had been trawling for sea cucumbers in the waters around Pailana Island, just off Banyak Island.

“He was shocked and came back to tell us what he had seen because that site is a prime fishing spot for local fishermen,” but now there are no fish there, Mufliadi said.

The geologists, who traveled to the province last week at the request of Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, confirmed there were no fish in the area.

“The fish around the area have gone and the water has become turbid,” Ridwan said, adding that the water temperature had risen from 27 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees.

To prevent worried residents from fleeing the area, Ridwan said the team would work quickly to analyze the samples it had collected.

“We still have to conduct an in-depth analysis of this,” he said, adding that if the mud and rocks contained methane, it would be dangerous.

Related Articles:

Undersea Anomalies in Aceh to be Studied

Fearful Aceh Islanders Tell of Massive Sea Change in the Wake of Earthquake

Scientists Discover Underwater Asphalt Volcanoes

Neighboring`s poachers nabbed in Indonesian Waters

Antara News, by Eliswan Azly, Sunday, April 25, 2010 00:39 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Illegal fishing in Indonesian waters is no longer an open secret, as this largest archepelagic country with its vast territorial waters has been the target of foreign poachers.

Recently, some poachers from neighboring countries like the Philippines and Vietnam were captured by Indonesian naval patrol boats during routine operations.

Indonesian naval patrol boat KRI Kakap-811 was reported to have caught four Filipino boats poaching in Sulawesi waters this week, Eastern Fleet`s spokesman Lt.Col.Toni Saiful said in Surabaya on Friday.

The fishing boats and their crew had been brought to the Nunukan naval base in East Kalimantan for investigation. The captured boats were identified as FB-Conie 5, FB-Conie 4 FB-Conie 10, and FB-Philcon 3, he said.

"The boats did not have permits for fishing in the Indonesian economic zone. Their skippers and crew members are all Filipinos," he said.

When questioned, they confessed their offense. They sailed from General Santos in the Philippines for fishing in Indonesia, he said.

In the meantime, ten boats manned by Vietnamese fishermen had reportedly been seized by a patrol boat of the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries for illegally fishing in Indonesia`s Exclusive Economic Zone in Natuna waters.

Bambang Nugroho, the head of port of control and monitoring of fishery and marine resources (P2SDKP) said on Friday nine of the boats and their skippers were now held at the port while one had been sent home carrying around 61 crew members of all the boats.

Only the skippers would be legally processed because based upon experience, the crew could not be sued. "At the most, they would be charged with violating the immigration law and then deported," he said.

The nine boats arrived at the P2SDKP port at 3 pm under escort of Hiu Macan 001, a patrol boat of the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries.

Bambang further said the Vietnamese fishermen did not resist arrest and everything therefore went smoothly. "We are still trying to find out about the volume of their catch," he said.

Hiu Macan 001 on Sunday (April 11) seized 10 foreign boats belonging to Vietnamese fishermen for poaching in Natuna waters.

He said nine of the boats were now being legally processed while their 21 tons catch seized as evidence had been destroyed because they contained formaldehyde.

Bambang said Natuna, Arafura and the northern parts of the North Sulawesi waters are foreign fishermen`s favorite places for poaching.

Bambang appealed to the people not to buy the catch of Thai or Vietnamese fishermen not only because they had been stolen from Indonesia but also contains formaldehyde which is detrimental to human health.

According to the FAO, Thailand and Vietnam are the world`s biggest fish producers although they have relatively small territorial waters.

The waters in West Kalimantan which are part of Zone III along with Natuna, Karimata and South China Sea are rich with marine resources reaching one million tons a year.

The fish species in these waters include mackerel, tuna and squids.

In 2007 the ministry sent out 21 of its patrol boats and seized 185 foreign boats, and in 2008 its 23 patrol boats caught red-handed 242 foreign poachers, and in 2009 arrested 180 in Indonesian territorial waters.

The potential loss saved from 180 boats was worth around Rp720 billion based upon the assumption of one motor boat incurring a loss of Rp4 billion a year

Based on the fact that a great number fishing boats had been captured, Indonesia is vulnerable to poaching by foreign trawlers.

From January to March 2010, for instance, the Tanjungpinang immigration had deported a dozen foreign fishermen from Riau Islands, including 15 Thais, 17 Vietnamese, and two Malaysians, for poaching in the waters of Natuna Islands.

Lots of foreign fishermen on their trawlers have been poaching in Indonesian waters for decades.

As a result, Indonesia suffers a loss of at least US$ 2.136 million a year.

Under Indonesian fishery Law No. 31/2004 on fisheries, the ministry`s patrol guards are authorized to carry guns. But in particular, the law is designed to accommodate the needs and challenges of developing the fishing industry and prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing.

The Indonesian government has been criticized for being "too lenient" in releasing and allowing Filipino fishermen to repatriate and reunite with their families. They would usually give one or two excuses, humanitarian considerations or lack of funds to provide basic needs and shelter.

Unfortunately, until now Indonesia still has not special committee to deal with illegal fishing cases. The government tends to rely on a sectoral approach in handling such cases. Coordination between related government agencies is weak and would not be applied on a regular basis. A fisheries court has not been established either.

Indonesia and the Philippines have established a Joint Commission on bilateral cooperation. The two countries have also signed an MOU on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation in General Santos, the Philippines, on Feb. 23, 2006. However, the two countries have not yet established bilateral arrangements to table particular issues of fishermen.

Besides, hundreds of confiscated foreign-flagged fishing vessels are now crowding dozens of seaports across Indonesia.

They are corroding, if not sinking and already turned to wrecks, while waiting for legal processing, which could take years. But no specific budget has been allocated for the maintenance of these seized boats.

Indonesia, which suffered a loss of Rp 30 trillion a year to poaching, is desperate to beef up its fishing patrol fleet, which currently consists of only 21 vessels. Securing the fishing boats could at least reduce the loss.

Wakatobi: A paradise for divers

Arief Suhardiman, The Jakarta Post, Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi | Sat, 04/24/2010 9:56 AM

“Wow... it’s beautiful,” said a passenger sitting beside me as he was watching a vast expanse of blue sea and green terrain from the plane window upon its landing at Matahora Airport, Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi.

Heaven underneath: A diver observes coral reefs at Waha, Wakatobi archipelago, Southeast Sulawesi.

Its gorgeous beach covered with white sand was clearly in sight, enhancing the magnificence of Wakatobi archipelago.

Passengers seated in the middle also tried to peek from nearby windows for a better view of the panorama outside. Nearly all those boarding the plane with a capacity of 30 people were amazed as it touched down at the airport located in Wanci, Wangi-wangi Island.

Wakatobi is an acronym of the names of major islands composing this island group: Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko. The other name is Tukang Besi as the islands’ population is famous for its blacksmiths, who used to supply the domestic and war equipment for the Buton kingdom.

As part of the Heart of the World Coral Triangle Center, Wakatobi is believed to have become a magnet for divers from all over the globe. Marine expert Jacques Cousteau even described Wakatobi as the finest diving site in the world.

Wakatobi has at least 100 diamond-class dive sites. Situated between Banda and Flores seas, the island group has the most beautiful coral ridges in the world’s coral triangle. The coral ridges found in Kaledupa are even the longest in the world, extending along 48 kilometers.

“Top dive sites are mostly located in Tomia,” said Jupri from the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry. “There we can see various species of fish and coral reefs,” he added. Jupri has worked in the Wakatobi National Park for three years now.

Ragged-finned firefish (Pterois antenatta)

Wakatobi’s varied and unique marine resources with its enchanting underwater panoramas make this archipelago a submarine paradise lying in the Heart of The World Coral Triangle Center, a zone with the highest diversity of coral reefs and other biota covering the Philippines, Indonesia and Solomon Islands.

The underwater biodiversity of Wakatobi is claimed to be higher than that of the Caribbean and Egypt, currently known as the world’s top diving centers. Around 90 percent of the globe’s 850 coral species or 750 species are found in Wakatobi. The Caribbean, famous for its marine tourism, only has 50 species and the Red Sea, Egypt, 300 species.

At last, my dreams of diving in Wakatobi waters came true, after skin diving in Raja Ampat, Papua, two years ago, and later in Tulamben, Bali and Bunaken, North Sulawesi.

At midday, with seven other divers, I began my first dive on Hoga Island. It took about 45 minutes to reach this island from Wang-wangi by speedboat. Hoga has been the center of Operation Wallacea — a series of biological and conservation management research programmes — activities since 1995. Several students, mostly from Britain, have been conducting research in the area of Wakatobi National Park.

On this site we were diving along a slope of between 60 and 70 degrees. We had 30-meter visibility thanks to the clear seawater. Coral reef density was not so high and the number of fish species not so large either.

However, we could still observe gorgonian fans about 2.5-meters wide on coral along with giant barrel sponges.

There were also leaf corals, presenting attractive formations at a depth of 12 meters. Small fish such as cardinal and damsel fish were swimming around them, while hundreds of yellowback fusiliers were moving in a group near the surface.

The 45-minute dive failed to satisfy my curiosity as I hadn’t yet encountered anything that matched my expectations. I really wished to relish truly amazing views, those of the underwater paradise.

By afternoon we returned to Wangi-wangi and then on to Waha to join other divers. It was cloudy with a rather strong current in Waha. With the urge to watch submarine splendor, we began our dive in front of Waha’s drop-off.

A few moments after descending, a fantastic sight appeared before us. An extensive stretch of stunning coral reefs aroused our admiration.

Painted rock lobster sits in coral

We let ourselves drift along while enjoying the wall diving. A group of purple and bright yellow fish were swimming along the coral wall, followed by some batfish and butterflyfish in a marching formation.

Before dark, I decided to dive 25 meters deep. At 10-meter visibility, I kept drifting right before the wall, directing my torch at the coral while trying to identify the various biota. I was staring at black and white snappers and moorish idol. But as the current grew stronger, I couldn’t stay much longer.

Time went by so fast and we wound up our dive. On the surface, we could hear the call to dusk prayer. The sky was getting dark, golden yellowish on the horizon.

“This is great” said a diver, with which his peer concurred. “We’ve got to come back here tomorrow,” I proposed.

We returned to Waha the next morning. It had been raining hard that morning, which worried me a little. But fortunately the rain soon subsided and it was bright again. I enjoyed every bit of this last dive. On this site, Wakatobi proved its reputation as one of best dive sites in the world besides Raja Ampat in Papua.

As soon as I peered down underwater, a splendid sight emerged right before my eyes, more gorgeous than any artist could ever paint.

Dazzling, fresh and varied coral reefs in bluish seawater were teeming with colorful small fish moving around amid the striking natural surroundings.

Round and oval corals with very elegant textures, were growing along with soft corals.

Diving 18 meters deep, I saw a painted rock lobster hiding in its nest resembling a small cave. Some 1.5 meters from the first lobster, a second could be found snug in its hole, as if watching me taking the pictures of the other while gesturing with its antennae.

Slowly, I went further to a depth of 25 meters. After a little while, I noticed some ragged-finned fire fish, locally called lepu, swimming upside down under coral, and pixy hawkfish hiding in sponge.

After admiring the biota, I tried to again descend to 35 meters deep, where I could see a yellow trumpet fish swimming peacefully near a pink sea fan. In a few moments I ascended slowly to get back to the near-surface biodiversity.

The 40-meter visibility and the wide variety of observable undersea biota made me wish I could extend my diving experience.

Sadly, time was limited even though there were many more dive sites to visit. But this may well prompt me to go there again some day.

There’s still much more to explore. Ben, a British student who had to go home after two weeks’ of surveying on Hoga Island with several peers agreed.

“I’ll be back in July,” said the marine biology student aboard the boat that would take him to the site for another dive in the paradise of Wakatobi.

RI warship captures four poaching Filipino boats

Antara News, Saturday, April 24, 2010 13:41 WIB

Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesian naval patrol boat KRI Kakap-811 caught four Filipino fishing boats poaching in Sulawesi waters this week, a navy officer said.

The fishing boats and their crew had been brought to the Nunukan naval base in East Kalimantan for investigation, the Eastern Fleet`s spokesman, Lt.Col.Toni Saiful said here Friday.

The captured boats were identified as FB-Conie 5, FB-Conie 4 FB-Conie 10, and FB-Philcon 3, he said.

"The boats did not have permits for fishing in the Indonesian economic zone. Their skippers and crew members are all Filipinos," he said.

When questioned, they confessed their offense. They sailed from General Santos in the Philippines for fishing operations in Indonesia, he said. Indonesia is vulnerable to illegal fishing activities of foreign trawlers.

From January to March 2010, for instance, the Tanjungpinang immigration had deported a dozen foreign fishermen from Riau Islands, including 15 Thais, 17 Vietnamese, and two Malaysians, for poaching in the waters of Natuna Islands.

Lots of foreign fishermen on their trawlers have been poaching in Indonesian waters for decades.As a result, Indonesia suffers a loss of at least US$ 2.136 million a year.