Indonesia waters yield 53 percent of world`s pearls

Antara News, Friday, May 7, 2010 15:24 WIB

Lombok Barat, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - At least 53 percent of the world`s finest types of pearl is to be found in Indonesian waters, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Thursday.

"Indonesia has good pearl industry prospects because 53 percent of the world`s finest types of pearl is to be found in our waters," Fadel Muhammad said after witnessing a harvest of Lombok pearl farmers at Senggigi in Lombok Barat district, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

Therefore, Fadel said, he would involve pearl experts in the activity of Lpmbok Barat pearl breeders so that their product would have the quality most admired by jewelers.

He said the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry was determined to have the world`s finest pearls in 2012 from producing areas of Lombok, Maluku, and Papua.

Fadel said Indonesia had such a determination because the pearl price in the country two years ago had dropped as it lost in international competition.

According to the maritime affairs and fisheries minister, the drop in the price of Indonesian pearls was due to three factors, namely lack of marketing personnel abroad, lack of technology in cultivation, and little support from the banking world.

"I came to know this after I coordinated with the Indonesian Pearl Cultivators` Association (Asbumi)," Fadel said, expressing hope that pearl cultivation in Lombok island would continue to make good progress as expected by all parties because the historically the development of world-class pearls had something to do with Lombok island.

He said the "pitada maxima" pearl, the world largest species, was rumored to have originally come from Lombok which then continued to move to China until the United States.

"I admit that my visit to Lombok has something to do with an effort to cultivate world class pearls in one package with tourism development," Fadel said.

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Fishing for potential in Tomini Bay

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

The neighboring provinces of Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo have agreed to develop the fishery potential of Tomini Bay.

The agreement was signed by Central Sulawesi Governor Bandjela Paliudju and his Gorontalo counterpart Fadel Muhammad during the Sulawesi Summit, in Palu on Monday.

Also attending the summit, which has been held annually since 1998, under the Coordinating Board for Regional Sulawesi Development (BKPRS), were other governors, regents, mayors and chief councilors from Sulawesi island.

Bandjela said during the signing ceremony for the agreement that the 411,000 hectare bay, which has been declared a protected world heritage site by UNESCO, had the potential to produce 330,000 tons of fish annually, as well as other maritime products such as pearls and seaweed.

"Maritime resources, including fishery resources, have yet to be developed optimally because of a lack of capital, skilled human resources and modern technology, and if the great potential can be managed professionally, the two provinces will supply their maritime products to the local market in Java and export them to Singapore," he said.

Fadel said the two provinces would promote Tomini Bay to attract national and foreign fishery investors, and agribusinesses and plantations to generate jobs for locals.

During the day-long summit, participants agreed on the importance of building the so-called Equatorial Canal, which would be centered in western Sulawesi. Once connected, the canal would connect important trade regions on the island with Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei.

Fadel, also a businessman and an influential figure in the Golkar Party, said he has lobbied Singapore and Korea's Hyundai Holding Group to take part in the canal project.

"I am optimistic the cooperation program will go in a smooth manner and will benefit Sulawesi," he said.

Chairman of the BKPRS' board of patrons, Ali Mazi, said the body has enhanced cooperation with the local administrations in Jakarta and West Java in the agribusiness and trade sectors, and with the Indonesian Export Bank to help finance the development of export commodities in Sulawesi.

Ali, also governor of Southeast Sulawesi province, said the BKPRS also was cooperating with several local non-governmental organizations to help local administrations organize exhibitions to promote the fishery, agribusiness and tourism industries on Sulawesi.

The BKPRS was initially set up by local administrations in Sulawesi in 1998 to help end the sectarian conflict in Poso that claimed at least 2,000 lives between 1998 and 2000.

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.

Dompu regency turns to the sea for better future

Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Dompu-NTB

Dompu might be an unfamiliar name for many but its pristine Lakey beach has made it popular among local and foreign surfers wanting to ride the waves.

Located on the south of Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara, the beach has hosted many international surfing contests, from the Dompu Indonesia Open to the Dompu-USA Surfing.

The latest event was held in mid-August, with dozens of surfers from Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa and the U.S.

"Dompu is finally becoming known in the outside world due to Lakey beach," Dompu Regent Syaifurrahman Salman told The Jakarta Post.

"But Dompu does not only have Lakey beach, we also have a very promising marine resources, not only tourism. We will continue developing these resources."

Dompu regency is located in the center of Sumbawa Island, in between Sumbawa and Bima regencies.

With an area covering 2,324 square kilometers, Dompu regency has 1,298 square km of beaches and three bays -- Saleh and Sanggar bays in the north, and Cempi bay on the south.

Apart from fishing, Dompu regency, home to 206,126 people, also boasts seaweed and pearl farming potential.

The regency has the potential to grow seaweed on 1,298 hectares in six districts -- Woja, Manggalewa, Kempo, Pekat, Huru and Kilo. Only two districts -- Dompu and Pajo -- are not suitable for seaweed farming.

However, only 85 hectares in two districts, Manggalewa and Kempo, are currently growing seaweed.

"Dompu should be able to produce at least 12,000 tons of seaweed a year but currently, we are only able to produce 10-20 tons annually. The main problem is low investment. That is why we are trying to bring investors here," Syaifurrahman said.

He said that so far the regency administration has convinced a Japanese company to develop seaweed in Dompu. The administration and the company signed a cooperation agreement earlier this year.

He said that under the agreement, the company will set up a company to directly process the seaweed in Dompu. The factory is expected to employ Dompu residents.

"Apart from growing seaweed, the company will also set up a processing factory in Dompu. Seaweed is a really good ingredient to serve as a basic material in the cosmetic and food industry," he said.

Dompu regency administration is currently working hard to promote the cultured pearl industry.

The regency has the potential to develop cultured pearl on 1,967 hectares of land in 25 different locations. However, only 329 hectares in seven locations in Pekat district have been exploited by Jakarta-based company. The rest remain untouched.

"We're working to promote cultured pearl business potential to other provinces and even abroad. For investors wanting to invest in Dompu, we will welcome and assist them."