Three fishing boats seized in conflict

PEKANBARU, Riau (Jakarta Post) : A long-running conflict between two groups of fishermen in Bengkalis regency, Riau, has led to the illegal seizure of three fishing boats and the detention of eight crew members.

The two groups of fishermen have for the last 10 years been involved in a quarrel over the use of trawling nets. During an incident two years ago three boats were set on fire.

This latest episode began Monday when the eight fishermen were seized by traditional fishermen in Teluk Tambang village.

The conflict centers on a policy issued by the Bengkalis Fishery Office, which allows the use of trawling nets four miles from the coastline.

Nets are not allowed within four miles of the coast because of the damage they can cause marine life.

Owners of the trawling nets, however, frequently ignore the ruling, and traditional fishermen blame them for destroying their fishing grounds near the coast.

A group of traditional fishermen captured seized the three fishing boats and detained the eight crew members on Monday. As of Tuesday, police were continuing to negotiate for the release of the detained fishermen.

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.

Trada Maritime, Asahi Tanker form joint venture shipping company

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

PT Trada Maritime, a subsidiary of Trada International trading and shipping company, signed an agreement to form a joint venture with the Japanese-owned Asahi Tanker on Tuesday in Jakarta.

Trada Maritime president director Darmansyah Tanamas said the joint venture, PT Trada Asahi Maritime (TAM), would provide shipping services and logistics to oil and gas companies.

Under the new venture, Trada Maritime and Asahi Tanker own respectively 51 percent and 49 percent of shares in the company. TAM will be controlled by Trada Maritime, with strategic guidance from Asahi Tanker.

"Our aim is to explore opportunities in the domestic clean oil product market in both Indonesia and other regions," he said as quoted in a press release.

President director of the 57-year-old Asahi Tanker, Makoto Iwata, said he saw a good strategic alliance and business opportunity between both companies.

"Our experience in transporting clean and other petroleum products will complement Trada's network and experience in the Indonesia region," Iwata said, adding that the joint venture with the local company was the first of its kind for Asahi.

Darmansyah said, on Jan. 1, 2010, the government would introduce a presidential decree on the protection of the domestic shipping industry, forbidding non-Indonesian flag vessels to operate in the country.

He said his company saw the upcoming decree as an opportunity to expand its business by striking an alliance with an experienced foreign shipping company.

Currently, he said, four of Indonesia's 13 biggest import and export commodities -- oil, coal, crude palm oil and gas -- were still controlled by international operators.

"These four are still controlled by international operators. TAM was created to answer the call to transport crude oil and its derivative products," he said.

Iwata said the venture would benefit both parties, in knowledge transfer and human and capital resources.

Trada Maritime, formerly known as PAS Maritime, offers services including marine terminals, ship management and logistics to oil and petrochemical industries in Indonesia.

Asahi Tanker is a shipping company with a 15-ship fleet, including small to large tankers and various types of specialized vessels, with affiliations in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and London.(nkn)

Wild weather damages levees

SINGARAJA (Jakarta Post) : Powerful waves and high tides in December and January caused extensive damage to levees in North Bali's Buleleng regency, an official said.

"We are currently conducting a survey to determine how many areas were damaged," the head of the Buleleng Public Works Agency, Nyoman Gede Suryawan, said Friday.

He did not disclose the estimated total of financial losses caused, saying levees were the responsibility of the provincial administration.

"The levees were a provincial project and were built with provincial budget funding. Our responsibilities only include documenting damage and reporting it to the relevant agencies at the provincial level," he said.

The levees were constructed to minimize erosion caused by seawater in the area.

During the high tides, the worst damage was recorded in the Buleleng harbor area, where parts of the levee were completely destroyed.

"Heavy rain, large waves and high tides that reached their peak in the middle of December caused the damage. Now seawater can freely hit the land," a local resident said.

Govt to combat illegal fishing

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

To help combat illegal fishing, the Maritime Affairs and Fishery Ministry will issue a revision of a 2006 ministry regulation on fisheries later this month, an official said.

Aji Soelarso, director general of the maritime resources surveillance and control division at the ministry, said Friday the revision was needed as the illegal practices had reached an alarming level and caused huge losses to the country.

"The revised ruling will prohibit foreign fishing vessels to operate in our waters if they do not have an industrial processing base in Indonesia," Aji told The Jakarta Post in an interview.

He said they could either establish their own industrial bases or cooperate with local companies in the form of a joint venture.

The 2006 regulation was initially aimed at revitalizing the country's fishery processing industry, but it did not require foreign vessels to have an industrial base here, he said.

The forthcoming revision will call for the revocation of the existing licenses of foreign fishing vessels if they fail to comply.

"With the revision, I expect it will not only create new jobs for local people, but also generate foreign exchange," Aji said.

No exact figure is available for the damage caused by illegal fishing, but previous ministry's reports estimated the country suffered over US$3 billion in losses per year.

In addition to the material loss, the practices have also caused damage to coral reefs as a result of the use of explosives.

"Indonesia is among the top eight countries in the world when it comes to fish stocks, higher than such neighbors as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand," he said.

Lack of a surveillance fleet was another factor contributing to the high incidence of illegal fishing, he said.

Aji said there are currently more than 20,000 foreign vessels operating in Indonesian waters, both with and without licenses, "and we only have 20 vessels to patrol them all, and not all of (the patrol boats) are in good condition".

Last year, Indonesia and Australia joined forces to patrol the Arafura Sea, Aji said.

According to the ministry, the maritime and fishery sectors have great potential to contribute to the country's economy.

Gross domestic product from the fishery sector increased by 18 percent in 2006, and generated US$2.08 billion in foreign exchange revenue, with exports reaching 1.02 million tons in 2006. (ndr)

Lampung sea erosion affects settlements

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Excessive mangrove logging in the last five years has caused extreme coastal erosion on a number of beaches in Lampung province.

A strip along West Lampung coast is growing narrower, especially at Biha Beach and Selaki Cape, where seawater intrudes into human settlements during high tides.

Head of Lampung University's Environmental Research Center (PPLH), Buchori Asyik, recently said an analysis has indicated severe coastal erosion stretching from Labuhan Maringgai in East Lampung and Bakauheni to South Lampung.

The analysis was conducted by the university, the East Lampung environmental agency and the Ministry of Environmental Affairs,.

Villages affected by erosion include Margasari, Sriminosari, Muara Gading Mas, Bandar Negeri, Karya Makmur, Karya Tani, Mulyosari and Kuala Sekampung, where 300 meters of coastline have been eaten away.

The erosion process occurs when huge waves slam into the beaches, especially when carried by easterly to Lampung's east coast.

Coastal erosion intensifies as mangrove swamps -- which should act as a coastal barrier -- disappear.

Mangroves have been excessively logged by residents for firewood, or converted into shrimp farms.

Former rice farmers are now growing shrimp ponds due to sea water intrusion.

A number of residents in Bandaragung village, Sragi district, South Lampung, acknowledged that ten years ago mangrove forests there reached three kilometers inland.

Over the past five years, they said, "newcomers" had cut back the mangroves, leaving the coast exposed to erosion.

The newcomers were from Tangerang (Banten), Indramayu, Cirebon (West Java) and Brebes (Central Java), they said. They often supported themselves through small-scale shrimp farming.

Director Mukri Friatna Lampung of the local chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said reforestation efforts on the east coast had been only somewhat successful.

"Damage is also caused by the lack of initiative from the government in restoring mangroves in coastal areas. The central government has disbursed tens of billions of rupiah but restoration is carried out only through projects and doesn't involve local communities," said Mukri.

Many trees died because they weren't properly cared for or were removed, she said.

Mangrove areas which once extended up to 300 meters inland in Ketapang and Sragi, in South Lampung, and Pasir Sakti and Kuala Penet, in East Lampung, have almost disappeared.

Stumps are still visible in areas turned to shrimp farming.

Lampung Maritime and Fisheries Office data showed Lampung is home to 1.9 million hectares of mangrove, 60 percent of which may have been severely damaged.

Ship sinks with tons of rice

KUPANG (Jakarta Post), East Nusa Tenggara: A ship from the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar sank off Alor, East Nusa Tenggara on Wednesday.

Forty tons of rice were on board when the ship was capsized by massive waves up to three meters high.

All eight people aboard survived and had been taken to Kabir village on Pantar Island.

This is reported to be the fourth such disaster in the past two weeks.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency has issued rough seas danger warnings for various parts of the country.

Indonesia, Vietnam, Palau to begin new round of maritime borders talk

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will begin a new round of maritime borders talks with Vietnam and Palau this year, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said on Monday.

"Periodic maritime borders talks with countries bordering Indonesia are still going on," he said in an annual press conference here.

The minister was referring to maritime borders talks with Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines which had made progress with the relevant governments discussing a number of options for negotiations later this year.

"From the territorial standpoint, clear land and maritime borders are a crucial element to keep the Unitary Republic of Indonesia intact," he said.

He further said Indonesia was also in the process of negotiating its borders with East Timor, which seceded from Jakarta in October 1999 as a consequence of the victory of the pro-independence camp in the UN-organized plebiscite in August 1999.

The negotiations with East Timor had been 97 percent completed, he said.

Tidal wave hits Manokwari, thousands evacuate to higher gound

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - Thousands of people living in coastal areas and in floating houses in Manokwari, West Papua province, fled to hills or other elevated places as a tidal wave hit the area at 12 am local time on Monday.

The tidal wave which reached heights of up to five meters swept through the coastal villages of Borasi, Pasar Borobudur, Wirsi, Sanggeng, Wosi, Rendani, Kampung Ambon, Pasir Putih and also reached the city center.

Earlier in the day, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale shook the Manokwari and Sorong areas but the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said the temblor did not have the potential of triggering a tsunami.

The earthquake caused cracks in the walls of a number of urban buildings, including Hadi Mall, Bank Mandiri, Bank Papua and Sanggeng Department Store.

But there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 1.17 degrees southern latitude and 131.94 degrees eastern longitude at a depth of 50 km below sea level, 78 km southeast of Sorong, 199 km southwest of Manokwari and 144 km northwest of Kaimana, West Papua province, the BMG said.

Water from the tidal wave also reached streets at the Manokwari city center causing thousands of people to rush out of buildings to find safer places.

They took refuge in the hills of Reremi, Wosi, Rendani, Gunung Meja, Manggopai and at the University of Papua (Unipa) campus which is located in an area about 500 meters above sea level.

Big waves slam coasts from Riau to Java

Oyos Saroso H.N. and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post, Lampung, Pekanbaru

High waves swept through the eastern coastal regions of Lampung and Riau and also parts of Java the last few days, wrecking one commercial ship and four fishing boats and leaving two passengers dead.

Dozens of Sulung Putra boat passengers were reported injured, and two others were killed, when the boat was slammed by high waves east of Lampung on Wednesday evening.

The body of one of the two victims, Riza Andriyanto, 11, was found about 200 meters from the wrecked boat on Thursday evening. The body of Irman Siswantoro, 16, has not been found yet.

"The Search and Rescue (SAR) team ... is still searching for Irman," said the Head of Labuhan Maringgai Pos Kuala Penet harbor in East Lampung, Feri Sakhtiawan.

He said the SAR team, helped by police officers, the military and hundreds of fishermen, ran an intensive search throughout the coastal area, but the high waves had finally put a halt to their efforts.

The Sulung Putra was slammed by waves as high as four meters after sailing about three kilometers from Labuhan Ratu village. The passengers were on their way to Kuala Penet village to celebrate the new year.

Strictly speaking the Putra Sulung was a fishing boat, but residents around the Lampung coastal areas use such boats for cheap transportation.

Before the accident, the Lampung Meteorology and Geophysics Agency issued warnings about the possibility of high waves around Lampung, but some residents insisted on sailing.

The agency predicts that in the coming days high waves will occur along the western coastal area of Lampung up to West Sumatra and along the southern coast of Banten in West Java.

High waves also forced the administrators of Bakauheni harbor to stop speed boats from operating. Usually 12 speed boats serve passengers on the route from Bahauheni harbor in Lampung, South Sumatra, to Merak harbor in Banten, West Java.

Head of administration at Bahauheni harbor, Rochadi, said passengers must now use ferries.

In Pekanbaru, four fishing boats were wrecked after being swept by high waves and heavy storms near Teluk Pambang village in Bengkalis regency. One of them was hit Wednesday evening and the three others on Thursday evening.

There were no casualties reported.

One resident of Teluk Pambang village, Rusli, said local authorities had warned residents not to sail, but some fishermen went out anyway.

"They keep on going out because they have to fulfill their daily needs. I hope these incidents will make them be more careful and want to postpone their trips," Rusli added.

The Kupang Meteorology and Geophysics Agency also warned residents to stay away from the beach due to high waves and heavy storms that could occur throughout the region.

The agency predicts the high waves and heavy storms will last until the middle of January.

Yemris Fointuna contributed to this article from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

High waves slam ferries, houses in Makassar, Kupang

Andi Hajramurni and Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, Kupang

High waves and heavy storms swept through the Makassar gulf Wednesday evening, wrecking a tanker and ferry.

Flooding caused by the high waves and heavy storms had reportedly also inundated more than 250 houses in Biboki Anleu district of Timor Tengah Utara regency in East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday morning.

The ferry used as a laboratory and cafe, which was anchored 200 meters offshore, was hurled onto an embankment at Losari beach.

One of the ferry's crew, Irfan, said the high waves and heavy storms started on Wednesday evening, becoming more intense early Thursday evening when the vessel broke free from its anchor.

"We panicked and thought the ferry might sink. We couldn't do anything at the time."

He said on Thursday afternoon the ferry was hurled onto the beach-- where it attracted the attention of curious passersby. He added he was relieved to find all five crew members survived the disaster.

It was also reported that a PT Semen Bosowa tanker had run aground, about 30 meters from a residential area, in Galangan village, Kaluku Bodoa sub-district, Tallo district, Makassar. Residents panicked as the ship approached.

One resident, Agussalim, said the tanker had been anchored about 500 meters offshore for the past few days. The storm and huge waves had damaged the anchor on Wednesday evening, he said, forcing the tanker inland.

To guard against similar incidents, the residents were evacuated away from beaches.

Residents said they hoped the vessel's owner would remove it soon to prevent further harm.

From East Nusa Tenggara it was reported that high waves and heavy storms, hitting more than 250 houses on Thursday morning, had forced about 1,000 people to evacuate.

The high waves and heavy storms that hit the region also caused flooding of up to one meter.

Head of Biboki Anleu district Amandus Afeanpah said he couldn't yet calculate the financial loss from the disaster.

Deputy regent of Timor Tengah Utara, Raymundus Fernandez, said he had encouraged people, who lived in the affected areas, to evacuate to safer places.

"I asked everyone to stay away from the beach in order to avoid unwanted incidents."

There were no casualties reported from that disaster.

Three Filipino fishermen stranded in Gorontalo

Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - Three fishermen from the Philippines were found stranded at a beach in Sumalata subdistrict, North Gorontalo district, on Tuesday, police said here on Thursday.

Local police spokesman Adjunct commissioner Syafii Bagus said the three Filipino fishermen were identified as Lary Roxas (21), Toto Sayson (31), and Robinson Gunita (32) of Malapatan Saraganu in the Philippines.

Syafii Bagus said the boat of the three Filipino fishermen was stranded on a Sumalata beach after it had an engine failure and was swept away by strong current.

He said they had been taken to Gorontalo Immigration office for further investigation before being repatriated to their country through Manado in North Sulawesi.

High tides interrupt sea transportation

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post) : Six ships that regularly carry passengers from Jakarta to the Thousand Islands regency have been unable to operate for the past three weeks due to high tides.

An official from the Transportation Agency, Mohammad Zakky, said Wednesday the ships would recommence operations when the tides had subsided.

"We hope the tides will subside this week," he said, as quoted by Antara.

He said each ship had the capacity to carry up to 36 passengers per trip.

The head of information at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, Tuwamin Mulyono, said tides in the Java Sea may reach up to seven meters before subsiding next week.

Maritime Museum set to officially reopen

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakartans and tourists alike will once again be able to enjoy the city's Maritime Museum when it officially reopens Friday.

Located next to Sunda Kelapa port, the museum was forced to close its doors when a series of high tides hit the area in November.

Floodwaters reached as high as 60 centimeters, forcing the museum's management team to move relics to the second floor of the building.

Museum head Dewi Rudiati said a series of renovations were undertaken at the museum while it was temporarily closed.

"We made minor changes, such as repainting the walls. Now we are rearranging our displays," she said.

Built in the 17th century, the museum originally served as a Dutch spice warehouse. The museum is now home to about 1,800 relics.

Several Japanese cargo ship replicas are also due to arrive at the museum in a few months.

"Previously we had on average between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors per month. We hope we can continue to attract visitors despite our limited budget," said Dewi.

She said museum staff were currently creating information labels in Indonesian and English to attract more foreign visitors.

She said in June, the museum will hold an exhibition titled "Jakarta, a city that started as a port", which will feature replicas of various ships that have docked in the Sunda Kelapa port over the years.

Lili, a visitor to the museum Wednesday, said she wanted to learn more about the museum after she heard about a wedding ceremony held there.

"This is the first time I've visited the museum," she said.

The resident of Kampung Baru in North Jakarta said she was very satisfied with her visit, despite the fact renovations were still continuing. (tif)

Five dead, five others missing amid rough seas in Flores

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

A cargo ship sank in rough seas in Bonerate waters near Flores Island killing three people and leaving five missing, while the turbulent waters also killed two swimmers, officials and witnesses said Monday.

The KM Surya Jaya sank after leaving Flores island bound for Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Sunday with 15 crew on board, East Flores Deputy Regent Joseph Lagadoni Herin said.

"Three people were found dead and seven survivors have been evacuated to shore," Herin said, adding that a search was still underway for the five missing crew.

Meanwhile, waves swept holiday-makers off one of the island's beaches late on Sunday, policeman Syamsul told AFP.

"A huge wave came in suddenly while people were swimming at the beach. I heard people screaming for help but another policeman and I were dragged into the sea as well," he said.

He said he and his friend were saved but that the incident killed two high-school students, as strong seas lashed islands right across Indonesia's east.

The local meteorology office warned of waves as high as six metres and winds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.

Torrential rains have inundated Indonesia's main island of Java over the past week, killing scores of people in landslides and displacing thousands following floods.

High seas and wild weather are not unusual from December to February in Indonesia, when the rainy season hits a peak across the world's fourth most populous nation.

Mangroves distributed to tourists

KUTA (The Jakarta Post) : AlamKulkul Boutique Resort & Hotel Bali welcomed the new year in an original way, by distributing mangrove trees to a number of foreign visitors late Monday.

The trees were presented to, among others, Australian, Dutch, Japanese and Russian tourists, president director of Alam Resorts Group Feisol Hashim told Antara.

He said some 8,500 mangrove trees had been distributed so far to help preserve the environment and combat global warming.

Feisol, who is also an honorary consul of Malaysia, said AlamKulkul plans to plant 3,000 flowering trees in Uluwatu this year.

Navy foils attempt to hijack barge containing 4,078 tons of CPO

Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - A patrol boat of the Indonesian Navy recently foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack a barge that was carrying 4,078 tons of crude palm oil (CPO) from East Kalimantan, to Surabaya, East Java.

"The Navy`s patrol boat, KRI Sutedi Senaputera-878, frustrated the action by the seven pirates on Sunday (Dec 23) in waters near Bilang-Bilangan island, off the East Kalimantan coast," Lt Col Toni Syaiful, spokesperson of the Indonesian Navy`s Eastern Fleet Command, said on Friday.

The crude palm-oil, stacked on a barge named Makmur Abadi-V which was pulled by a tugboat, the Makmur Abadi-I, was being transported from Tanjung Redep, East Kalimantan, to Surabaya, East Java. After one day`s sailing, the tugboat and barge were stopped by a seven-man group of pirates in a speed-boat led by Rebaldo.

Wielding sharp weapons, the pirates overpowered the skipper and crews of the tugboat and barge and locked them up in a cabin.

After doing a repainting job to rename the tugboat Ocean Line-1 and the barge Ocean-Line-2, the pirates steered the vessels toward Labuan, Malaysia.

The KRI Sutedi Senaputera which was patrolling waters in the Ambalat region chased and eventually intercepted the pirated vessels. The pirates were arrested and they as well the two vessels were then taken to the Tarakan naval base in East Kalimantan from where they would later be transferred to Surabaya to undergo a judicial process.

Heavy storms to keep ships in harbors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has renewed calls for ships and boats not to set sail in the next few days following warnings of extreme weather and high waves from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG).

Sea transport director general at the Transportation Ministry Effendi Batubara told Detik.com on Wednesday the no-sail warnings were valid throughout this week and could be renewed.

The ministry issued its first warnings two weeks ago.

In bad weather warnings issued on Tuesday, BMG said three- to five-meter-high waves could hit several parts of Indonesia because of seasonal monsoon winds expected to last until the end of this year.

"Ships and boats should not set sail in the next two days because they might be swept away by high tides," Eko Prasetyo, a meteorology and geophysics expert with the BMG office in Surabaya, told Antara on Wednesday.

He said the Java Sea would be hit by waves as high as three and five meters, while the Makassar Strait and Bali Sea might see waves with heights between 0.5 and 3.5 meters.

BMG said waters in the southern part of Sumatra and in the south of Nusa Tenggara could be hit by up to four-meter-high waves, while the waters to the south of East Java might see 0.5 to 2.5-meter waves.

The agency said the predicted waves would likely be caused by the West Monsoon wind, a seasonal wind that occurs when atmospheric pressure is high across the Asian continent and low across Australia.

Eko said mariners should also stay alert for severely low tides, which might hamper ships from harboring and loading.

He said waters in Surabaya's Tanjung Perak harbor receded to minus-170 centimeters on Wednesday and were predicted to rise only by 10 centimeters the following day.

Effendi said they would keep monitoring BMG's reports, but reminded sailors and fishermen to stay alert because there had recently been several serious sea accidents.

On Dec. 23, a tugboat pulling a coal barge was overturned near Bali as it sailed from South Kalimantan to Cilacap, Central Java.

In September, the BMG also warned vessels against sailing in the Indian Ocean, including waters around the Mentawai islands and the coastal areas of West Sumatra, due to extreme weather.

Passenger ferries plying the Mentawai-Padang route continue to operate despite the warning, but no accidents have been reported.

The Indonesian archipelago boasts the largest area of territorial waters in the world.

Indonesia has 5.8 million square meters of sea territory, or three-quarters of its total area. Its shorelines, which stretch for some 81,000 kilometers, are the second longest worldwide after Canada.

While Indonesia is a maritime nation, its sea transportation remains a public concern, because many vessels are poorly equipped and apply minimum safety procedures in the face of bad weather warnings.

One of the most noted sea tragedies was the sinking of the Senopati Nusantara ferry in the Java Sea on Dec. 30, 2006, after it was reportedly hit by dangerous waves.

This accident claimed the lives of more than 300 passengers. It is believed that defective lifeboats were among the causes of the great number of fatalities. (lln)

Sea holds climate change benefits, threats

The United Nations climate change panel says seas could rise by up to 59 centimeters by 2100 due to warmer global temperatures. Indonesia, according to the government, is experiencing a sea level rise of about 0.8 mm per year. This is the fourth article in a series on climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The sea poses both a threat and opportunity for coastal communities in Indonesia -- a sprawling archipelago with some 17,000 islands -- in facing global warming.

Rising sea levels are expected to submerge smaller islands while at the same time the sea can be used as a carbon sink to help the world mitigate human-induced climate change.

The ministry of maritime and fishery affairs says Indonesia's seas have the capacity to store up to 245 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main driver of climate change.

The ministry also predicts that some 61,000 square kilometers of coral reef could absorb 73.5 million tons of CO2 per year. The existing 93,000 hectares of mangrove forest could store 75.4 million tons of CO2 and phytoplankton species could handle some 11 million tons of carbon.

In addition to rising sea levels, global warming could also alter sea water's acidity and temperature, the ministry says, as well as forming more frequent weather extremes such as high sea waves and tropical storms.

The ministry predicts that a meter in sea level rises could swamp 405,000 hectares of coastal areas and 2,000 small islands while damaging coral reefs.

A plan of action on mitigation says that the government would develop more mangrove forests to help coastal communities fend off rising seas and stronger tropical storms.

Mangroves provide a habitat for shrimps and small fish, break up waves and retain silt and soil, preventing them from damaging coral reefs.

Mangroves also keep rising sea levels at bay, up to a certain extent, giving communities more time to adjust.

The action plan says the government would promote integrated coastal management to improve the quality of rivers and coastal areas as well as setting up early earning systems for extreme weather.

For fishing communities, the government intends to develop eco-friendly fishing facilities such as boats that could resist high waves.

Meanwhile, scientists have been urged to review the sea's potential to store CO2.

Six Southeast Asian and Pacific nations, including Indonesia, recently launched an initiative to save the "Coral Triangle", which contains more than half of the world's reefs, during the Bali climate change summit.

It is estimated that there are more than 600 species of coral and more than 3,000 species of plants and fish living in the waters encompassing the Philippines, Timor Leste, parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

High tides continue to cause headaches

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Almost 100 fish processing companies located in North Jakarta's Muara Baru have been forced to cease operations due to high tides that have inundated the area for several weeks.

The Nizam Zachman fishing port in Muara Baru, which is home to 163 companies, is not accessible to vehicles carrying fish during the day as the road leading up to it is generally flooded.

As of Monday, floodwaters in the area had reached 1.2 meters.

Head of the port Bambang Sutejo said only 66 companies located in the area had been able to continue operating.

"The rest have temporarily closed down," Bambang told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Bambang said fishing boats were not affected by the tides and were able to dock at the port at any time of the day.

However, catches could not be transported directly to fish processors and exporting companies until the high tides receded, which usually occurred after 5 p.m.

"If vehicles cannot pass the road until 5 p.m., workers have to wait for hours and work overtime. Companies have to pay more in wages and the health of workers is also at risk," he said.

Bambang said companies operating at the port exported fish products to Europe, Japan and the United States.

He said some 41,000 workers were employed at the port, which also provides fish to more than 500 local retail stores and 100 street vendors.

"We have lost on average 50 percent of our usual daily revenue," Bambang said.

On a normal day, companies at the port collectively make up to Rp 10 billion from 110 tons of fish brought in by fishing boats.

"But now this figure has fallen to around Rp 5 billion per day from 90 tons of fish," Bambang said.

He said even though fish supplies had only dropped by 20 tons, slower distribution had decreased the price of fish.

Suparjo, the general manager of PT Pelindo II Sunda Kelapa, said high tides had also affected business at neighboring Sunda Kelapa port.

"Because of the high tides, many ships have chosen to dock at Tanjung Priok port. We have lost hundreds of millions of rupiah because of this," Suparjo told the Post on Monday.

He said his company tried to prevent flooding by building retainer walls. However, the tides were higher than the 100-centimeter walls, resulting in the area becoming flooded.

At Nizam Zachman port, retainer walls were also built in anticipation of the floods, Bambang said.

However, due to limited funds, the port authority had not been able to complete all of the necessary walls, he said.

"We haven't finished building the walls. As a result, sea water enters and inundates the port. We have to wait for more funding next year to complete the project," he said.

He said plans were also in place to raise the height of the road entering the port by 1.2 meters next year. (tif)

Ferry fares to rise almost 5% on Jan. 1

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will increase interprovincial ferry fares by an average of 4.46 percent starting Jan. 1 next year, a transportation ministry official says.

"We've decided to increase the fares as the current fares barely cover actual costs," head of the Communications Center at the Transportation Ministry, Bambang S. Ervan, was quoted as saying Saturday by Antara.

According to Bambang, the new fares for the 18 ferry routes were stipulated in a ministry regulation, with the smallest increase being on the Balikpapan-Taipa route (0.24 percent), and the biggest on the Gorontalo-Wakai route (18.13 percent).

Among the routes affected are Ketapang-Gilimanuk, where the fare will increase by 10.94 percent from Rp 640 to Rp 710; Merak-Bakauhuni (11.03 percent from Rp 453 to Rp 503); and Padangbai-Lembar (10.42 percent from Rp 568 to Rp 627).

Bambang said it was hoped that the new fares would encourage ferry operators to maintain or even improve their services, as well as pay more attention to the safety of passengers.

Also, starting next year, insurance premiums will also be increased from Rp 440 per passenger to Rp 770.

"This means the compensation for death in an accident while using a ferry will rise significantly to Rp 50 million (around US$5,400) from the current Rp 30 million," Bambang said. (ndr)

Jambi flooded as Batanghari River overflows

Jambi, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Batanghari River in Jambi Province overflowed and inundated Jambi City, forcing 166 residents to flee their homes.

The water level of Batanghari River has reached a height of up to more than 13 meters, Head of the Jambi provincial social welfare service Jazid Idris said here on Tuesday.

The Jambi authorities were on alert to anticipate the flooding of spreading to wider areas, he said.

The local administration has prepared among other things a number of emergency tents and tens of rubber boats, to help flood victims.

At Legok kampong, two large emergency tents have been set up to accommodate the 166 flood victims.

The Jambi province also has a stock of 75 tons of rice to be distributed to local people in case of emergency.

Indonesia will continue to experience above-average precipitation under the impact of La Nina in the period December 2007 - February 2008, according to the US National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA)`s National Weather Service (NWS) recently.

In addition to Jambi, floods also hit several other provinces in Indonesia recently, such as in Gorontalo, Central Java, East Java, West Java and South Kalimantan.

Tidal flood inundates parts of West Kalimantan city of Pontianak

Pontianak, West Kalimantan Province (ANTARA News) - Tidal flood reaching a height of between 10 and 30 centimeters inundated parts of Pontianak city, West Kalimantan, on Tuesday.

Flood waters inundated roads towards Pontianak Harbor and residential areas, disturbing the traffic.

The West Pontianak Police office was also flooded up to 10 centimeters high.

Three dead, six missing in Indonesia boat accident: navy

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Three people died and six were missing after their boat crashed into a fish trap Tuesday while sailing in bad weather and strong seas near Indonesia's Sumatra island, a navy officer said.

"Five people survived the accident and two of our patrol boats are searching for six other people," Bagansiapiapi navy post commander Navy Second Lieutenant Mufit told AFP.

He said the small wooden boat with 14 people struck a fish trap just half an hour after it set sail on midnight on Monday, half a mile off the coast of Bagansiapiapi in Riau province.

Bad weather, fuelling big waves and strong winds, has plagued the region since earlier this week, Mufit said.

The boat was ferrying passengers between coastal towns on Sumatra's east coast since roads are in poor condition or non existant.

Indonesia is an archipelago nation of some 17,480 islands, where both sea and air links are crucial, but safety standards are notoriously lax.

Algae farming

Bali’s fishing community adapts to looming climate change.

The Star online

By ANNE CHAON

AS COUNTRIES from around the world met in Bali, Indonesia recently to thrash out a new framework on fighting global warming, the fishing community there is adapting to the looming impact of climate change.

Many are turning away from fishing to a small but innovative scheme aimed at reviving the tropical island’s coral reef, which is threatened by rising temperatures and over-exploitation.

The scheme, run by environment group WWF, encourages people to give up damaging fishing practices and turn instead to the more sustainable – and lucrative – practice of seaweed farming.

Sustainable practice: A woman harvesting seaweed at her farm in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The algae farms, launched in 2001 in the village of Sumber Kima and the surrounding coast, support 200 households. This year, the fishermen will harvest 29 tonnes of seaweed, mostly to be sold to the United States and Japan.

WWF coral expert Lida Pet-Soede said the project was aimed at “reducing human pressure on this reef, which is so rich in biodiversity and in its variety of fish.”

“The local population who live here on fishing and tourism can continue to benefit from it in the future while at the same time being less dependent,” she said.

Many of the tiny bouquets of brownish algae being harvested from the reef come from the nets of fishermen who, in the past, used grenades to blast fish to the surface or captured fish for the lucrative foreign trade in tropical aquariums. Both practices have been hugely destructive on both the coral and populations of rare fish species.

Ria Fitriana, who runs the programme for the WWF, said the scheme offered fishermen the chance to earn about 750,000 rupiah (RM300) a month, almost double what they made before.

“For the first time I have enough money for my family. One day I’ll send my children on to higher education,” said Khairiyah, a 30-year-old woman who is part of the project and whose husband has now given up fishing.

“He had to go off for longer distances and longer times and petrol is getting more and more costly,” she said.

A warming of the seas caused by a severe El Nino in 1998 ravaged Bali’s coral reef. Some 16% of the ornate undersea flora was killed off and the remainder is still suffering a decade later. Scientists anticipate that temperatures are rising in Indonesia by 0.3°C per decade, raising fears that the reef’s rich biodiversity will be wrecked for future generations.

Women in particular have cashed in on the new business, using the protein-rich seaweed to make sweets, chips and crackers that they can sell.

The project receives small amounts of funding from the local government and from Australia, which contributed about US$2,000 (RM6,800). – AFP

Six missing fishermen found alive in West Java

Sukabumi, West Java (ANTARA News) - Six fishermen of Pelabuhanratu, Sukabumi District, West Java Province, who had been reportedly missing since December 1, were found alive in Pameungpeuk waters, Garut District, early Monday.

The six fishermen were respectively Bakri (the skipper), Agus, Andi, Anto, Edo and Suki. They were aboard MV Yakin Grup 07, a fishing boat, when they encountered with a machine trouble early this month.

The ill-fated Yakin Grup o7 was currently being pulled by MV Yakin Grup 01 on its way from Pameungpeuk to Pelabuhanratu and was expected to arrive on Tuesday (Dec. 25), Head of the Pelabuhanratu water police unit Rukiman, said.

MV Yakin Grup 07 was waters off Cidaun area, Cianjur District, when suddenly its machine broke down on December 5, 2007, and later the boat drifted away by sea currents to Pameungpeuk.

High tides submerge Bekasi's coastline

BEKASI (Jakarta Post) : Hundreds of houses were submerged with water when a high tide hit Segara Jaya village in Bekasi regency Sunday.

The one-meter-high waters also inundated 200 hectares of milkfish and shrimp ponds which were to be harvested at the end of this month.

Pond owner Sidiq said the seasonal tides this year were higher than in previous years. He said the waters reached villages up to three kilometers from the shoreline.

"We expect to see these huge tides once every five years ... these tides came early, since we last had a huge tide two years ago," he said as quoted by Tempointeraktif news portal.

Bekasi regency official Enop Chan said he and several officers would stay in flood-affected villages to assist residents with evacuation if needed.

Floods hit Jambi province

Jambi, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Floods hit a number of towns and districts in Jambi Province on Saturday, forcing local people to pack their belongings and move them to safer areas.

The Jambi provincial police had mobilized their personnel throughout the province in anticipation of rising waters and landslides, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Yatin Suyato, a spokesman of the Jambi Police, said here on Saturday.

The policemen were put on standby to help the evacuation of flood victims and provide first aid assistance if needed, he said.

A number of school buildings were also inundated. However, the floods did not affect school activities as Jambi`s students are currently enjoying a year-end vacation.

High tide flood again hits Muara Baru, N. Jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A flood triggered by cyclical high tide again hit Muara Baru area, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Saturday, inundating around 4,000 houses.

The flood waters which reached a height of up to 100 centimeters submerged Muara Baru Market and its main road.

The cyclical high tide started to rise at 7 am local time and it slowly subsided as of 11 am, As`ad, the Penjaringan neighborhood council head, said here on Saturday.

Despite the flooding, local residents did not flee because they had become used to the natural phenomenon, he said.

Fish auctioning activity in Muara Angke and Muara Baru fish markets were affected by the flooding.

Local inhabitants were on alert as very high sea waves were predicted to occur, he said.

All Bengkulu residents to take part in earthquake simulation

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - All Bengkulu residents will on Sunday morning take part in an earth-quake and tsunami emergency simulation organized by provincial authorities, the provincial governor said.

The fourth simulation which was aimed at preparing the public of eartquake-prone Bengkulu province for the real thing, will be held at 06.00 a.m. on Sunday, Agusrin Maryono Najamuddin, Bengkulu`s governor said here Saturday.

"The fourth simulation will be held in nine districts and we hope that all citizens will take part in the drill, so that it will be like the real thing," he said.

One month ago, on Sunday November 23, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in cooperation with the Bengkulu city administration conducted a tsunami-emergency drill involving the inhabitants of several villages including Lempuing.

Simulations were also conducted on December 10 and 15 by the provincial and Bengkulu city administrations.

The provincial government decided to hold the simulation in response to widespread rumors that an earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter Scale followed by tsunami will happen on December 23, 2007