Bali declares 'garbage emergency' amid sea of waste

Yahoo – AFP, Bagus SARAGIH, December 28, 2017

The Indonesian holiday island has become an embarrassing poster child for the
country's trash problem (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA)

Kuta (Indonesia) (AFP) - Bali's palm-fringed Kuta beach has long been a favourite with tourists seeking sun and surf, but nowadays its golden shoreline is disappearing under a mountain of garbage.

Plastic straws and food packaging are strewn between sunbathers, while surfers bobbing behind the waves dodge waste flushed out from rivers or brought in by swirling currents.

"When I want to swim, it is not really nice. I see a lot of garbage here every day, every time," Austrian traveler Vanessa Moonshine explains.

"It's always coming from the ocean. It's really horrible," she adds.

Often dubbed a paradise on earth, the Indonesian holiday island has become an embarrassing poster child for the country's trash problem.

The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is the world's second biggest contributor to marine debris after China, and a colossal 1.29 million metric tons is estimated to be produced annually by Indonesia.

The waves of plastic flooding into rivers and oceans have been causing problems for years -- clogging waterways in cities, increasing the risk of floods, and injuring or killing marine animals who ingest or become trapped by plastic packaging.

Officials in Bali have declared a "garbage emergency" across a stretch of coast that 

includes Jimbaran, Kuta and Seminyak beaches (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA)

The problem has grown so bad that officials in Bali last month declared a "garbage emergency" across a six-kilometre (3.7-mile) stretch of coast that included popular beaches Jimbaran, Kuta and Seminyak.

Officials deployed 700 cleaners and 35 trucks to remove roughly 100 tons of debris each day to a nearby landfill.

"People with green uniform were collecting the garbage to move it away but the next day I saw the same situation," said German Claus Dignas, who claimed he saw more garbage with each visit to the island.

"No one wants to sit on nice beach chairs and facing all this rubbish," he added.

Bali's rubbish problem is at its worst during the annual monsoon season, when strong winds push marine flotsam onto the beach and swollen rivers wash rubbish from riverbanks to the coast, according to Putu Eka Merthawan from the local environment agency.

"This garbage does not come from people living in Kuta and nearby areas," he told AFP.

"It would be suicidal if Kuta people were doing it."

War on waste

Some 72 kilometres from Kuta, Mount Agung has been threatening to erupt for two months, prompting tourists to cancel visits and displacing tens of thousands of villagers living within a 10 kilometre-radius of the volcano's crater.

Indonesia is the world's second biggest contributor to marine debris after 

China (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA)

But the island's waste problem is no less of a threat, said I Gede Hendrawan, an environmental oceanography researcher from Bali's Udayana University.

"Garbage is aesthetically disturbing to tourists, but plastic waste issue is way more serious," he told AFP.

"Microplastics can contaminate fish which, if eaten by humans, could cause health problems including cancer."

Indonesia is one of nearly 40 countries that are part of UN Environment's Clean Seas campaign, which aims to halt the tide of plastic trash polluting the oceans.

As part of its commitment, the government has pledged to reduce marine plastic waste by 70 percent by 2025.

It plans to boost recycling services, curb the use of plastic bags, launch cleanup campaigns and raise public awareness.

Still, the scale of the problem facing Indonesia is huge, due to its population of more than 250 million and poor waste processing infrastructure.

Hendrawan, who says both locals and tourists are responsible for the island's rubbish problem, urged authorities to invest more resources to tackle the problem.

"The Bali government should spare more budget to raise people's awareness to take care of local rivers, not to dump waste," he said.

"The central government should boost the campaign to reduce use of plastic packaging and ban free plastic bags at convenient stores."

Bali's palm-fringed Kuta beach has long been a favourite with tourists seeking sun and surf, but nowadays its golden shoreline is disappearing under a mountain of garbage. pic.twitter.com/Y27qrxapmy

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 28, 2017

Police Arrest Alleged Turtle Smuggler in Bali

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana,  Jul 15, 2014

A Green Sea Turtle grazes. (Wikimedia Commons)

Denpasar. Police foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle rare green turtles from Bali’s mainland to nearby Serangan Island on Tuesday — the latest arrest in a string of turtle smuggling busts to hit the popular tourist destination.

A 56-year-old man, identified as Sangkalan, was arrested early this morning after police officers on patrol in Ngurah Rai found 17 turtles inside his pickup truck, Denpasar Police Chief, Sr.Cmr. Djoko Hariutomo said.

The turtles were estimated to be more than 5 years old, given their size. They weighed about 50 kilograms each and measured about 1 meter in diameter, Djoko said.

Djoko said the driver claimed to have been following an order to transfer the turtles to Serangan, a small island located south of the capital Denpasar, from Jembrana.

“He was just a paid man, we haven’t revealed the syndicate,” the police chief said.

Bali was considered the main destination for smugglers trying to move turtles in Indonesia because of the high prices they commanded in the local animal trade, Djoko said.

Most were destined for culinary purposes.

Today’s arrest is the latest in a string of attempts to smuggle turtles in Bali.

Earlier this month two marine police officers in Bali were arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle seven green sea turtles, known as Chelonia mydas.

In March, police rescued another 17 green turtles transported to Bali from Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.

Twelve of the turtles were released back into the ocean after they were treated, while the remaining five are still undergoing treatment.

Seven Japanese divers missing in Indonesia

Google – AFP, 15 February 2014

A rescue team search for seven Japanese tourists who went missing after

 leaving for a scuba diving trip in waters off Bali on February 15, 2014 (AFP,

Sonny Tumbelaka)

Jakarta — Seven Japanese tourists were missing after leaving for a scuba diving trip in waters off the Indonesian island of Bali, police said Saturday.

The group disappeared after heading out on a speedboat to Nusa Lembongan, a small island off the southeast coast of the popular resort isle, Bali police spokesman Hariadi told AFP.

"Seven Japanese tourists went missing after a diving activity in the area on Friday," he said.

A rescue team search for seven Japanese

 tourists who went missing after leaving for

 a scuba diving trip in waters off Bali on

February 15, 2014 (AFP, Sonny Tumbelaka)

"We have sent out rescue boats and a helicopter this morning to comb the beaches and surrounding areas to look for them as well as their speedboat. So far, we have found nothing," he added.

It is not yet clear if the group got into trouble once they entered the water, or if they were on the boat.

"Our priority is to find them first. We don't know if they had experienced engine trouble, strong currents or bad weather conditions," Hariadi said.

Yasue Katsunobu, the deputy consul general of Japan in Denpasar, confirmed that the missing were Japanese and he was "awaiting results of the search".

Nusa Lembongan is a popular scuba diving spot is part of Coral Triangle, widely considered the world's richest underwater wilderness.

It across six nations between the Indian and Pacific oceans -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

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President welcomes Greenpeace activists

The Jakarta Post, Ina Parlina, June 08 2013

Welcome on board!: Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo (left)
 shows President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) the legendary Rainbow Warrior
ship at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta on Friday. (Antara/Prasetyo Utomo)

For years, Greenpeace has been viewed with suspicion by Indonesian officials and some local hard-line groups who accused the international environmental group of being a “foreign agent” trying to wreak havoc in the country.

But on Friday, it was President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself who came to meet and greet Greenpeace activists aboard their iconic sailing vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, which was moored at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta.

The President called Greenpeace a “partner” in the country’s efforts to protect the environment.

“[Please do] criticize Indonesia over the things the country has to improve, and advise us how to maintain the environment. If Indonesia does good things, do not forget to tell the world that Indonesia has a strong commitment to protecting the environment,” Yudhoyono said, adding that he had asked Greenpeace to remain a partner of Indonesia.

Greenpeace, which has always been critical of the government, was more supportive of Yudhoyono during the meeting.

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said he hoped that Yudhoyono’s presence on board would be a symbol of environmental protection leading to greater protection for Indonesia’s incredible natural heritage.

“The President should be congratulated on the progress his government has made on forest protection since our first meeting last year,” Naidoo said. “There is still crucial work to be done but we at Greenpeace can assure him that we will do whatever we can to support Indonesia’s commitment to zero deforestation.”

While the meeting could boost Yudhoyono’s standing as a champion of green policies, it may also help Greenpeace’s operations in the country, which have been marred by several incidents.

 In 2011, Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven was denied entry into Indonesia at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, even though Sauven held an official visa issued by the Indonesian Embassy in London. A few days later, immigration officials tried to deport British Greenpeace campaigner Andrew Ross Tait.

In the same year, the Jakarta administration threatened to seal the organization’s office in Kemang, South Jakarta, for allegedly violating building regulations. In mid-2012, after months of intimidation from a hard-line group as well as opposition from residents living nearby, Greenpeace finally abandoned its headquarters in Kemang and moved to Tebet, South Jakarta. The protesters accused Greenpeace Indonesia of breaching regulations by accepting donations from gambling operations.

In a meeting with Naidoo in Jakarta on June 7 last year, Yudhoyono accepted Naidoo’s invitation to visit the ship; a far cry from 2010, when the Rainbow Warrior was escorted out of Indonesian waters after the government refused to let the ship dock in Jakarta. Yudhoyono said at that time that Greenpeace was a credible organization that played a major role in seeking environmental solutions through its criticisms and effort, pointing out that both of them “shared a similar dream”.

The crew of Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior sang

a song at a welcoming ceremony in Bali as part of its

tour. It stops in Jakarta on Monday at Tanjung Priok Port.

(JG Photo/Nadia Bintoro)

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Spiritual energy draws Prana to preservation

The Jakarta Post, By Alit Kertarahardja, Thu, 06/07/2012

Living long: The Pemuteran Coral Protection Foundation, started by I
Gusti Agung Prana and Pemuteran locals, recently received a prestigious
 environmental award — the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Equator Prize.

More than 20 years ago, I Gusti Agung Prana was spiritually amazed when visiting the sacred temples and beautiful coastal areas in faraway Pemuteran village in Buleleng regency, North Bali.

Located on the northwest coast of Bali, around 55 kilometers west of Singaraja and 30 kilometers from Gilimanuk in Jembrana, Pemuteran lies between a cluster of hills and the sea.

A number of old temples like Pura Pulaki, Pura Kerta Kawat and Pura Melanting are the island’s important worship places in the North.

“This place is called Nyegara-Gunung in Balinese language meaning the combination of sea and mountain areas,” Prana explained.

The Balinese believe that such places have extraordinary spiritual energy that brings harmony to the earth, the sea and to the people living there.

Prana said a decisive moment in his life was when he started to open a small-scale hotel for tourists, who, at that time, preferred to spend their holidays in the southern part of Bali like Kuta, Sanur or Ubud.

“Nobody wanted to come to this remote place, quite faraway from the glittering tourist hubs of Kuta,” he remembered.

But Prana was convinced that he received a kind of “spiritual call” to continue his venture.

A businessman by nature, Prana decided to do business in Pemutaran. “I was wondering if I could do more to help local people and to preserve this pristine environment by doing something useful,” he said.

Starting from the community, Prana encouraged local fishermen to alter their destructive fishing methods with more sustainable fishing techniques.

His fatherly approaches worked really well. “I always convince these fishermen to jointly preserve our precious marine habitat by practicing sustainable fishing. Many of them used hazardous cyanide bombs to catch fish while at the same time damaging the coral reefs and underwater life.”

Coral reefs in Bali have been severely damaged in recent years due to the irresponsible use of bombs and cyanide by fishermen. Increasing seawater temperatures linked to climate change and global warming are also blamed for the damage.

The Pemuteran area has the largest shallow reefs accessible to divers and snorkelers because of its lack of extremely strong currents and waves, seen in other coastal areas in Bali.

Together with locals, Prana launched the Pemuteran Coral Protection Foundation, which has been fully supported by marine scientists Thomas Goreau and Wolf Hilbertz.

“I asked for their assistance in restoring the shore, the coral reefs and also educating fishermen and the local community how to protect and to preserve our marine assets.”

Starting with the local community, the Pemuteran Coral Protection Foundation started to embrace all stakeholders in marine businesses such as dive shops, divers, hotels, marine scientists, environmentalists and fishery agencies to do the preservation of marine habitats and coastal areas in Pemuteran and its surroundings.

“It is a bottom-up community-based restoration and preservation effort,” he said.

For more than two decades, Prana and fellow members of the project have been active in educating and developing awareness of the importance of preserving their own natural resources and their main livelihoods. Over a period of 20 years, the nearly barren and damaged coral areas have been returned into a thriving reef full of coral, fish and other marine species.

Related Article:

Fishermen Successfully Revive Coral Reefs in Bali

Fishermen Successfully Revive Coral Reefs in Bali

Jakarta Globe, May 31, 2012

A handout photograph released by The Nature Conservancy shows a view
 of the coral reef in Amed, Bali, Indonesia in 2011. Two hectares of damaged
coral  reefs off Serangan beach in Denpasar, Bali, have been successfully
rehabilitated  over the last nine years because of the efforts of Pesisir Karya
 Segara, a group formed by local fishermen. (EPA/The Nature Conservancy/
Joanne Wilson)

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Denpasar. Two hectares of damaged coral reefs off Serangan beach in Denpasar, Bali, have been successfully rehabilitated over the last nine years because of the efforts of Pesisir Karya Segara, a group formed by local fishermen.

“The rehabilitation was targeted for an area of five hectares. However, since 2003, we have managed to revive only two hectares by planting coral seeds,” Pesisir Karya Segara member I Wayan Patut said on Thursday.

He added the rehabilitation effort was in collaboration with the private sector, which involved the planting of 32 seedlings of branched coral reefs.

“In addition to planting the seeds, we also released 36 seahorses, which will likely attract more marine species,” Patut said.

He explained the gradual rehabilitation of the reefs over five hectares was part of a 15-year plan expected to finish in 2018.

However, Patut added, the process was not easy, particularly because of the difficulties involved in procuring planting equipment and seeds.

“We are grateful to the government and private institutions that are concerned about the preservation of coral reefs near Serangan beach,” he said.

Antara

Related Article:

US provides US$7 million to Bunaken Sea Park

First big cruise ship berths at Benoa, Bali

Antara News, Tue, January 17 2012

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Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said a cruise ship named MV Legend of the Seas was the biggest yacht to berth in Benoa Harbor, Bali.

Cruise Ship Photo: MV Legend

of the Seas

"Previously, cruise ships of the same size as the Legend could not berth at any Indonesia port. They could only throw anchor some distance from the coast and transport passengers to the shore by small boats," he said here Monday.

Sapta Nirwandar also said the 264.3-meter-long Legend of the Seas was the biggest cruise ship to berth at an Indonesian port, in this case Benoa, Bali.

Meanwhile, the harbor and dredging director of Bali`s Transportation Office, Kemal Heryandri, said Benoa harbor was ready to receive big ships from overseas.

Kemal Heryandri said coral reefs in the harbor waters had been removed in 2011 to ensure the navigation safety of big ships, even of ships bigger than the MV Legend. Besides, Kemal added, the local government had also dredged the coastal waters up to a depth of 11 meters.

"In 2012, the dredging will reach 12 meters to enable big cruise ships to berth easily and safely," Kemal said.

President Director of PT Indonesia Harbor (Pelindo) III, Djarwo Surjanto, had previously said Benoa would be the first port in Indonesia able to receive the Legend of the Seas.

The cruise ship had 2,300 passengers and a 1,000-strong crew on board when it arrived in Benoa.

"The Legend`s visit will attract world attention because it is the first time for a big cruise ship to berth at an Indonesian port," Djarwo said.

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono

Bali Increasingly a Stop for the World’s Cruise Ships

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, January 02, 2012

Bali has increasingly become a stop on the itineraries of cruise ships. Officials,
 and a port official says 2012 promises to be the biggest year yet for the island.
 (JG Photo/J.P. Christo)

      

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Denpasar. Bali has increasingly become a stop on the itineraries of cruise ships, and a port official says 2012 promises to be the biggest year yet for the island.

Iwan Sabatini, the general manager of Pelabuhan Indonesia III, which manages Benoa Port in southern Bali, said on Monday that 35 cruise ships berthed at the port last year, compared to 27 in 2010 and 15 in 2009.

“That number exceeded our target. We were really happy,” Iwan said.

The target for this year, according to Iwan, is 28 visits. That should not be too difficult to achieve, with Iwan saying 38 cruise ships had already indicated tentative plans to stop at Bali in 2012.

The first of those 38, the Legend of the Sea, a luxury cruise ship operated by Miami-based Royal Caribbean, is scheduled to berth at Benoa this month.

The 264-meter-long ship was scheduled to stop at the port last year but was unable to stop because the water was not deep enough in front of the jetty.

Iwan said they had completed work to deepen the sea to at least nine and a half meters for a width of 150 meters all along the jetty.

Bali is constructing a deep port for cruise ships in Tanah Ampo, in Karangasem district. The project had been halted because of funding problems but the Karangasem district chief, I Wayan Geredeg, said a new agreement signed by the ministries of transportation, people’s welfare, tourism and the creative economy, and maritime affairs and fisheries would allow work to resume soon.

Geredeg said the Tanah Ampo cruise ship terminal would provide another major gateway for tourists to arrive on the island, in addition to Ngurah Rai International Airport.

More than 2.5 million foreigners visited Bali in 2010, and the target for last year was 2.6 million to 2.8 million.

Govt eyes more cruise ship visits to RI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 10/08/2011

The government plans to separate industrial and tourism ports to bring more international cruise liners to Indonesia due to growing demands.

“We have to prepare our ports because they are crowded with cargo ships. International cruise tourists want to see the beauty of the port,” Firmansyah, the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s director general for tourism development, told The Jakarta Post at his office on Friday.

He said that the ministry was collaborating with port operator PT Pelindo I and II as well as local administrations to improve ports including Tanah Ampo and Benoa in Bali, Tanjung Mas in Central Java, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Belawan in North Sumatra and Palopo in South Sulawesi.

“We have to admit that we are lacking ground handling facilities. We are working hard so that more international cruise ships can visit Indonesia,” he said, adding that the cruise industry had a lot of promise in Indonesia.

As of September 2011, there were 178 cruise ship calls with 113,766 passengers coming to Indonesia, while in 2010, that figure stood at 198 for the calls that brought 94,228 passengers.

In 2012, he said that as many as 215 calls have been scheduled to visit Indonesian ports, bringing 137,279 passengers.

He added that 2,000-passenger cruise ships had anchored twice in Tanah Ampo this year, including the Australian Sun Princess, which anchored at Tanah Ampo on July 17.

Sun Princess was the first ship to make a stopover after several others canceled their visits due to unfinished docking facilities. With 2,100 passengers and 880 crew on board, the ship made its final stopover in Tanah Ampo before returning to Fremantle, Australia.

Kicking off its journey in Fremantle, the ship went to Padang, Langkawi and Singapore before heading to Vietnam and Cambodia.

“Tanah Ampo still needs a wharf extension to be able to accommodate cruise liners, and we are working on that,” Firmansyah said.

The current pier is only 154 meters long, while the international standard is at least 300 meters.

Construction is unfinished, despite being was initiated years ago, for lack of around Rp 200 billion (US$23.6 million) budgeted by the central government.

Although docking facilities are not yet finished, cruise ships can anchor some 400 meters away from the wharf and small boats bring passengers and crew to a floating jetty to reach the terminal.

However, Firmansyah was upbeat that the dock would be finished soon because Pelindo and local administrations have felt the benefits. “Indonesia gets at least $1 million from cruise liner business a year,” he said.

Indonesia also plans to make Bali a hub cruise port that will connect several potential ports for foreign tourists in 2014, he said.

From Bali, cruise liners will travel to Semarang, Jakarta, Palopo, Flores and back to Bali.

The ministry is still choosing between Benoa and Tanah Ampo as the hub. However, he said that if Benoa were chosen, it would take much more work and time. (nfo)

Nusa Tenggara Fishermen Catch Whale Shark

Jakarta Globe, March 07, 2011

Locals surround the whale shark in Sape, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara
after the one-ton fish was caught in fishermen's net. (Photo Source SCTV)

West Nusa Tenggara fisherman caught a whale shark in their nets on Sunday as they were fishing off the coast of Sape, Bima district.

The locals killed the shark, which is considered to be a delicacy, SCTV reported.

The fishermen said the 8 meter shark, which weighed 1 ton, was the biggest fish they had caught in the last few years. They said that four sharks had approached their boat, but the other three escaped.

It is not the first time for a whale shark to become trapped in fishermen’s net in Indonesia.

In January, a 15 meter whale shark weighing two tons was stranded on the beach of Pangandaran, West Java. Local fishermen dragged the shark from the water to the shore and killed it for its meat.

In March 2009, a 6 meter whale shark was caught in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

The whale shark is the largest living fish species and is found in tropical and warm oceans. It lives in the open sea and has a lifespan of about 70 years.

Whale sharks feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants and small animals.

Bali`s ornamental fish exports up 9.9 pct

Antara News, Sunday, January 16, 2011

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali province`s ornamental fish exports in the January-November 2010 period rose 9.99 percent to US$1.02 million from the same period the year before.

"The ornamental fish exports fell 0.22 percent by volume compared to the same period in the previous year when 785,202 heads of ornamental fish were shipped," Head of the Bali Provincial Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office Gusti Putu Nuriatha said here on Sunday.

The drop in the volume of ornamental fish exports was among others the result of unfavorable climate that caused difficulties to fishermen to catch ornamental fish, he said.

After all, the province still had a chance to increase ornamental fish exports in 2011 and the upcoming years, he said.

The ornamental fish was exported to Japan, the United States, Australia and Europe.

Ornamental fish is one of Bali`s 11 aquatic products which have so far penetrated the international market. The province earned US$107.15 million from aquatic product exports in the January-November 2010 period, a 13.28 percent increase compared to the same period the year before when the figure was US$94.59 million.

Gusti Nuriatha said the Bali waters was rich in a wide variety of ornamental fish. Fishermen catch the fish of high economic value near the province`s beaches using very simple instrument.

Illegal trade

The Jakarta Post, Nyoman Budhiana, Antara, Bali | Mon, 01/10/2011

Police and Bali Natural Resources and Conservation Center officers measure green sea turtles at the Bali water police patrol office in Denpasar, Bali, on Monday. The team foiled an illegal attempt to trade the 38 sea turtles from Madura to Bali.

Indonesia, US Sign Up to Preserve Nusa Penida’s Marine Environment

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana | November 21, 2010

Nusa Penida, Bali. The Indonesian and US governments have announced a new initiative to establish a marine conservation area in the waters around Nusa Penida Island, to the southeast of Bali.

The conservation area will cover 200 square kilometers of waters around the island, and become part of the larger national conservation area totalling 200,000 square kilometers across the archipelago by 2020.

The Nusa Penida initiative has already received Rp 100 billion ($11.2 million) in funding from USAID, through the Coral Triangle Support Partnership, according to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad.

Of the fund, Rp 960 million will go toward helping seaweed farmers improve productivity, as part of the government’s target to boost seaweed production in Nusa Penida from 117,000 tons a year to 500,000 tons a year.

Fadel said the richness of the marine diversity around Nusa Penida deserved to be studied in greater depth.

“We’ll manage this conservation area in the same way that Brazil successfully manages the Amazon,” he said at a ceremony to inaugurate the area on Sunday.

The biodiversity around the island, he added, was apparent in a 2009 marine survey performed by scientists Emre Turak and Gerry Allen, which uncovered 296 coral species and 576 fish species, five of which were previously undiscovered.

Fadel also noted that a study by the Nature Conservancy’s Indonesian Marine Program had found 1,419 hectares of coral reef, 230 hectares of mangrove forest with 13 species of mangroves, and 108 seaweed patches with eight types of seaweed.

“We’ll also build a seaweed cultivation center here as well as a seaweed processing plant,” the minister said.

“In addition, we’ll build fish processing plants so that the fish caught in these waters will be ready and packed for shipment.

“We’ll also enlist the local community’s assistance in helping safeguard the waters.”

He added other aims of establishing the conservation area included to encourage fishermen to adopt sustainable fishing practices, and to boost tourism in the area.

US Ambassador Scot Marciel, who also attended Sunday’s event, said Indonesia was well-placed to support global conservation efforts, which made it an important partner for the United States, including in efforts to preserve marine ecosystems.

“We see the marine environment as key to the sustainability of humans,” Marciel said.

Related Article:

US supports creation of RI`s seven marine protected areas

Rescue endangered marine turtles

English.news.cn, Editor: Wang Guanqun, 2010-11-18

Tourists and local volunteers release a rescued green turtle at Kuta beach during a ceremony on the resort island of Bali on November 18, 2010.

Indonesian maritime police intercepted a boat loaded with 87 green turtles and arrested the boat crew during an operation in nearby Kubu sea as part of a campaign to protect the endangered marine turtles. (Xinhua/AFP)

Related Article:

Endangered Sea Turtles Saved in Bali

South Korean diver missing in Bali

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 09/05/2010 4:57 PM

Search workers were still looking for a South Korean tourist who went missing when he dived in Tanjung Benoa, Bali, on Saturday.

Denpasar Search and Rescue head of operation I Gde Ketut Ardana told Antara news agency that the South Korean, identified only as Kim (30), went missing during a diving activity with a local instructor on Saturday afternoon.

The instructor, Beruntung, told the police that he thought that the South Korean was tagging along behind him for around 20 minutes before he realized the tourist was gone.

Ardana said that the joint search would continue for the next seven days.

Legislator's wife found dead off Bali beach

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 09/05/2010 2:25 PM

Bali legislator Anak Agung Gede Agung Baratha (61) was found unconscious and his wife Nanik Wirna (58) dead on Gianyar waters in Bali after both were dragged out to sea by waves earlier Sunday.

Gianyar City Police chief Adj. Comr. I Gede Putu Astawa told kompas.com that Baratha was found on Selukat Beach while his wife was found in Lebih beach on late Sunday morning.

Baratha and the body of his wife have been take to Sanjiwani Hospital.

The couples were reportedly strolling on Sedayu Beach in Klungkung earlier in the day, with their chauffeur and assistants, when a big wave hit them and dragged them out to sea.

Bali to produce 110,000 tons of fish

Antara News, Friday, June 18, 2010 17:09 WIB

(ANTARA/GreenLee WM)Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali has a production target of 110,000 tonnes of fish in 2010, which increased from the previous year which was only 106 000 tons, a regional fishery official said.

This target is expected to be achieved, given the fishermen and freshwater fish farming had made maximum efforts to increase production, said Head of Fisheries and Maritime office of the Province of Bali, Gusti Putu Ir Nuriartha said here Friday.

He said the increased production of the fisheries sector will have positive impact on efforts to overcome poverty for fish farmers and fishermen who live on the coast.

Bali Police Pull Endangered Turtles From the Pot

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, May 19, 2010

A policeman holding up one of 71 green turtles rescued in Bali on Wednesday. Despite a ban on the turtle trade, the reptile’s meat remains a delicacy on the island. (JG Photo/JP Christo)

Denpasar. Bali Police announced on Wednesday that they had rescued 71 endangered green turtles being kept for their meat.

Some of the turtles “were so big it took three people to lift each one,” Andi Taqdir Rahmantiro, director of the Bali Police’s detectives unit said, adding that the biggest turtles weighed as much as 200 kilograms each.

Green turtles (chelonia mydas) were once commonly used in ritual sacrifices across the predominantly Hindu island, while their meat is a traditional delicacy. In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward symbolic sacrifices where the animals are released alive into the sea.

Andi said the animals were seized on Wednesday from a warehouse in Denpasar owned by Jero Mangku Buda. He added Buda had long fronted as a pork vendor, but actually sold turtle meat on the sly.

Police had staked out Buda’s food stall for months before posing as potential turtle meat buyers to make the arrest. During questioning, the suspect told investigators about the warehouse, just 200 meters away from the food stall.

Buda said he had bought the consignment of turtles for Rp 35 million ($3,850) from a fisherman at Amed Harbor in Karangasem a day earlier, who in turn had netted them in the Sulawesi Sea.

He did not tell police whether he had killed or sold any from the batch, but said he often sold off entire turtles for Rp 700,000 each, while serving up turtle meat for Rp 45,000 a portion.

“He says he’s only done it once before, but we’re not buying it,” Bali Police spokesman Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra said. “In the meantime, we’re tracking down the supplier.”

Buda would likely be charged with poaching, which could see him face up to five years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines, Sugianyar said.

Police will deliver the 71 turtles to the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) office in Bali, which plans to release them into the sea from Kuta Beach.

“For now, though, we’ll keeping them at the turtle conservation center in Serangan,” BKSDA Bali head Pamen Sitorus said.

Indonesia implemented a turtle trade ban in 1999, and rejected a proposal last year by Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika to set an annual quota of 1,000 animals for sacrificial ceremonies. However, high demand has driven the trade underground, with police foiling several smuggling attempts in recent years.

In February 2009, police stopped a boat carrying 26 turtles, while in July a shipment of 42 turtles from Java was foiled. In September, authorities seized 140 kilograms of turtle meat.