Navy Launches Two New Vessels, Needs Another 128

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, The Jakarta Globe, January 8, 2009

 

The Indonesian Navy has launched two new, locally made patrol vessels as part of ongoing attempts to bolster and upgrade its aging fleet.

 

Navy spokesman First Adm. Iskandar Sitompul said on Thursday that the vessels, code-named KRI Krait-827 and KRI Tarihu-829, would be operated by the Western Fleet Command, based in Jakarta.

 

The ships, measuring 40 meters in length and 7.3 meters wide, were each equipped with a radar system, a twin-barreled cannon and two 12.7 mm machine guns, he said. Each had a maximum speed of 25 knots per hour.

 

“The hulls are made from special reinforced fiberglass and aluminum,” Iskandar said. “Because they are not made from steel they are faster. It also costs us less for maintenance.”

 

The naval shipyard had previously assembled nine warships and was planning to produce another two warships, Iskandar said without disclosing details of the plan.

 

Including the latest two vessels, the Navy has a total of 146 warships.

 

But Iskander said the Navy still required another 128 ships.

 

“According to our strategic plan for securing Indonesia waters, by 2024 we must have 274 warships with strike and patrol capabilities and supporting forces,” he said.

 

Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the secretary general for the Defense Ministry, last week announced that the ministry had decided to postpone the purchase of two Russian-made submarines that it had intended to purchase as part of its 2004-09 strategic plan.

 

Sjafrie said the purchase would instead be incorporated into the 2009-14 plan.

 

However, Iskandar said the Navy expected the government to finalize the purchase and sign the contract this year.

 

“It takes two or three years to assemble the submarines. So if we sign the contract this year, they can be handed over to us in 2012,” Iskandar said.

 

“We just need to be assured that the government really wants to purchase the submarines.”

 

Adm. Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, the Navy chief, said earlier that the Navy needed submarines to defend its sovereignty, adding that they had only asked for two because they knew the state budget was limited.

 

A military source, who declined to be identified, said the Navy was in desperate need of the submarines to maintain some parity with Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore has ordered two new submarines from Sweden and Malaysia has ordered four from France.

Report: La Nina to stay in Indonesia until March

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 01/09/2009 6:02 PM 

 

A forecast by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that Indonesia will remain affected by La Nina conditions until at least March.

 

"Based on current observations, recent trends and model forecasts, La Nina conditions are likely to continue into the Northern Hemisphere's spring of 2009," a NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) statement said, as quoted by state news agency Antara on Friday.

 

The CPC said the impact of the La Nina development, which came unusually late for those in the northern hemisphere, would include above-average precipitation across Indonesia.

 

As it is located on the equator, Indonesia feels the impact of climate developments from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

 

The impact of La Nina will include an increase on Indonesia's already high rate of rainfall.

 

A separate report from Jakarta's meteorology and geophysics agency confirmed the CPC report, saying that some parts of the city are likely to suffer from flooding until February.

 

So far, the water level remains safely below the normal level of floodgates across the capital. (emh)

Gone aground

Antara, Thur January 8, 2009

Hundreds Myanmar and Bangladesh citizens reach the shore in Sabang’s marine port, Aceh, Wednesday (Jan.7). Indonesian fisherman founded them in Rondo Island water with their boat. Amount 79 peoples among them were suffered dehydration and inpatient in local hospital. (ANTARA photo/Ampelsa)

Fishermen Slam Trawling Resumption

Arti Ekawati, The Jakarta Globe, January 8, 2009

 

The government’s decision to lift a ban on trawling by commercial fishing vessels will further deplete the country’s fish resources and hurt the thousands of traditional, small-scale fishermen who depend on the sea for a living, said an organization representing the workers.

 

Riza Damanik, the general secretary of the People’s Coalition for Justice in Fishing, or Kiara, said on Wednesday that the decision by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to once again allow the use of trawl nets in designated areas was a retrograde step for the industry. Instead of stimulating economic growth, he said, the legalization of trawling could reduce the incomes of fishermen by up to 60 percent.

 

He said the economic circumstances of traditional fishermen were worrisome. According to ministry figures, fishermen earned an average of Rp 519,000 ($48.27) per month in 2008. Meanwhile, more than 70 percent of the national fish catch was landed by small-scale fishermen using boats weighing less than three gross tons.

 

“It is completely unacceptable for the government to permit trawling again, even if it is to be confined to designated areas,” Riza said.

 

The use of trawl nets in Indonesian waters was prohibited by a 1980 presidential decree. However, the maritime affairs and fisheries minister issued a regulation in April authorizing the granting of permits for the use of trawl nets.

 

According to the regulation, trawling will only be allowed in designated areas off East Kalimantan Province, with all of the waters involved being within the maritime boundaries of Nunukan, Bulungan, Nunukan, Tana Tidung, and Kota Tarakan districts.

 

The use of trawl nets is frequently criticized by environmentalists because of the damage they cause to the sea floor and the fact that they snare both marketable and non-marketable fish, with the latter being dumped. The practice can also lead to overfishing.

 

Damanik argued that the minister had no power to overrule the presidential decree, which has been on the statute books for more than 20 years.

 

Originally, the ministerial regulation was due to come into effect on Jan. 1, but this has been pushed back as the ministry is still working on quotas for the number of vessels that will be allowed to use trawl nets.

 

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said trawling would only be allowed in waters off East Kalimantan. He said a licensing system was needed to counter illegal fishing in Indonesian waters by large Malaysian vessels.

 

“The Malaysian vessels have an advantage in fishing our waters off East Kalimantan because they are equipped with trawl nets for deep-sea fishing. By contrast, our vessels aren’t equipped with these nets as our regulations prohibit trawling,” Numberi said.

 

Due to this situation, he said, the ministry had decided to issue trawling licenses to help boost the earnings of local fishermen.

 

Numberi said the issuing of trawling licenses also had a bearing on national territory. “The more Indonesian vessels there are in one area, the clearer it will be that it is our territory. So the Malaysians won’t be so easily able to exploit it,” he said.

According to ministry figures, the traditional fisheries sector landed 5.17 million tons of fish in 2008, worth Rp 43.9 trillion, compared with 5.04 tons the year before.

 

Up to 7,000 Tons of Dead Fish Blamed on Volcanic Activity

Fidelis E. Satriastanti, The Jakarta Globe, January 7, 2009

Fish farmers inspecting dead fish at a pen on Lake Maninjau, West Sumatra, where sulphur poisoning is believed to be behind a die-off that may cause losses of up to Rp 120 billion. (Photo: Mursidi, JG)

 

Sulphur poisoning from volcanic activity is believed to be responsible for the deaths of some 7,000 tons of fish found in West Sumatra’s scenic Maninjau Lake in the past two days, a provincial official said on Tuesday.

 

Kurniawan Syah Putra, chief of the Tanjung Pura subdistrict that encompasses the lake, said that authorities and locals began gathering up floating dead fish on Monday.

 

“It reached 1,588 tons of fish on Monday, but today may be the peak, as we predict the [cumulative] total could reach up to 7,000 tons,” Kurniawan said.

 

The 99.5-square-kilometer Maninjau is a volcanic crater lake in Agam district.

 

The lake, which has a depth of close to 500 meters, is known for its mountain-rimmed panorama and has become one of West Sumatra’s famous tourist destinations.

 

Kurniawan said dead fish had been spotted in the lake since Dec. 24, but authorities were not able to immediately confirm that volcanic activity was behind the mass deaths.

 

He said that some 15,000 fish farms in eight villages on the rim of the lake were affected by what was believed to be contaminated water. He said local residents were looking at about Rp 112 billion ($8.6 million) in losses, based on the assumption of a selling price of Rp 16,000 per kilogram of fish.

 

“It is a very great loss for the fishermen; some of them have lost about Rp 1 billion because of this,” Kurniawan said, adding that all the fish were lost in three of the eight affected villages.

 

Yosmeri, who heads the West Sumatra Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, said the mass deaths were caused by an upwelling, with sulphur-rich colder water from the bottom rising to the surface due to a drastic weather change.

 

He said the fish perished from sulphur poisoning and that his office also detected a small amount of ammonia, “which is not supposed to exist under normal conditions.”

 

Yosmeri said steps were taken to prevent further losses, including moving the remaining fish from the farms to uncontaminated fishponds.

 

However, he said the fish killed by sulphur poisoning were still safe for human consumption.

 

“We instructed fishermen to sell the dead fish, of course at a lower price, Rp 3,000 per kilogram,” or smoke them, he said.

 

“We will also recommend the power plant company open the water gate to flush out the contaminated water and prevent more contamination,” he said, explaining that opening the gate would drain the surface water.

 

He said a similar incident occurred in the lake in 1997 but the damage had been much less severe, with losses amounting to less than Rp 10 billion.

One dead, eight missing after Indonesian boat sinking

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - At least one person is dead and eight are missing after a wooden boat sank in rough seas off Sulawesi island, an official said Wednesday.

       

The KM Marsel capsized Tuesday while it was transporting 19 gold miners and four crew members from Canggoreng island to the nearby port of Kasipute in Bombana district.

       

"At least one person is dead, 14 have been rescued and eight others are still missing," Southeast Sulawesi province Search and Rescue chief Amirrudin told AFP.

       

The official said the vessel sank at 3.40 pm (0840 GMT) some 12 miles (19.2 kilometres) from the coastline after it was struck by waves as high as 2.5 metres.

        

A 30-member rescue team using three boats as well as dozens of local fishing vessels were scouring local waters Wednesday for survivors, Amirrudin said.

       

Bombana district is around 1,700 kilometres (1,056 miles) northeast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta.

       

Indonesia, a nation of some 17,000 islands, is heavily reliant on sea transport links where safety standards are often lax and boats carry far more people than is safe.  

301 Myanmarese boat people found adrift in Aceh

Hotli Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh | Wed, 01/07/2009 2:18 PM  

A group of 301 boat people from Myanmar on their way to Malaysia were found in Aceh on Tuesday night. 

Local fishermen discovered the refugees adrift in a small boat off the Weh islands. 

On Wednesday, Sabang mayor Munawar L. Zein said that many members of the group were suffering illnesses as they had run out of food during their voyage. 

The sick are currently being treated at a local hospital, while local authorities are coordinating with Jakarta over their fate. 

The group had apparently fled Myanmar because of its military junta, and were seeking a better life in Malaysia. 

A similar incident occurred in 2004 when around 200 Myanmarese boat people were discovered in Aceh on their way to Malaysia.

ROW OF BOATS

The Jakarta Post   |  Tue, 01/06/2009 12:17 PM  |  Jakarta

ROW OF BOATS: Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen. Darpito Pudyastungkoro (left) inspects rubber dinghies and other equipment at a flood emergency response training session on Tuesday. The program involves military personnel, police and civilian volunteers and will run for two days until Thursday. The training is being conducted in two flood-prone areas; Muara Baru in North Jakarta and Bidara Cina in East Jakarta. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

Timah to spend $21.3 million to buy new vessels

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/06/2009 11:09 AM  

State mining company PT Timah, the country's largest tin exporter, will purchase four vessels this year representing a total investment of Rp 230 billion (US$21.3 million), aimed at supporting its planned expansion in offshore exploration. 

Timah president director Wachid Usman said on Monday the offshore expansion would account for around 50 percent of the company's output this year, from the current 30 percent. 

Indonesia, the world's second-largest tin producer after China, has vast tin reserves in its territorial area, with those located offshore still untapped. 

Timah would allocate Rp 200 billion for buying a big vessel and some Rp 30 billion for the smaller ones. 

Wachid said the vessels would be used to carry the minerals to onshore processing plant. However, Wachid did not mention the source of the funds for the purchase. 

Timah plans to maintain production target similar to last year at around 60,000 tons. 

"The production this year will be more or less the same as last year," he said. 

However, as of third quarter of 2008, Timah produced 38,585 tons, or 24 percent lower than the 2007 level. During the same period, Timah posted an 18 percent jump in net profits to Rp 1.49 trillion from Rp 1.26 trillion. 

Due to the decline in global tin prices, the government has announced that national tin output might decline by 13 percent to 79,210 in 2008 tons from 91,280 tons in 2007. 

Tin prices have declined by more than 40 percent last year on the back of slower demand. 

Director general of minerals, geothermal and coal Bambang Setiawan said, as quoted by Bloomberg, that the country might set a tin production quota of less than 80,000 tons this year.

US vows 'huge' marine protection

The US is to establish what it calls "the largest area of protected sea in the world" around its Pacific islands.

 

By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News website 

Rose Atoll - "the highest proportion of live coral cover anywhere in the world"

 

Commercial fishing and mining will be banned in the protected zones which include the Marianas Trench, the deepest area of ocean on the planet.

 

The area totals 500,000 sq km (190,000 sq miles) of sea and sea floor.

 

While welcoming the protection package, environmental activists said that without curbing climate change, the other measures would be meaningless.

 

President George W Bush will formally announce the measure during an address on Tuesday evening in Washington.

     

Briefing journalists in advance, his environmental advisor James Connaughton said the move meant the US was "setting the mark for the world with respect to effective marine management".

 

"The conservation action is going to benefit the public and future generations through enhanced science, knowledge and awareness, and just good old-fashioned inspiration, because these places are exceptionally dynamic when it comes to the marine environment," said the chairman of the White House council on environmental quality.

 

The areas covered include some of the islands most remote from the world's large populations centres, which have not so far encountered the intense fishing present across much of the oceans.

They also encompass some of the most biologically diverse places on the planet, undersea volcanoes and hot seafloor vents, and submarine pools of sulphur thought to be unique on Earth.

 

War monuments

 

The measure involves establishing three new "national monuments" around different US territories in the Pacific.

      

Together they encompass the Marianas Trench and the long arc of volcanoes and undersea vents along the Mariana Islands chain, south of Japan and north of Papua New Guinea; coral reefs around the three northernmost islands of the Marianas; and eight more coral atolls and islands.

 

The Marianas group includes islands such as Saipan and Tinian which played significant roles in World War II, and Guam which is still a major US base.

 

One of the other places now receiving protection, Johnston Atoll, was formerly used to stockpile chemical weapons.

 

Mr Connaughton said the national monuments would be established in a way "that also fully respects our nation's national security needs by ensuring freedom of navigation for all vessels in accordance with international law and by ensuring that our military can stay ready and be globally mobile".

The pink corals of Palmyra Atoll can reflect on their new protection

 

The Marianas Trench, which reaches depths of about 11km (about seven miles), and the string of volcanoes and vents will be protected from mineral exploration.

The coral areas will also see a complete ban on commercial fishing out to 50 nautical miles from shore.

"It's very significant both from an ecological and biological perspective as well as in its political symbolism," said Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group.

     

"In the Marianas alone, the area that's been protected contains some of world's most exceptional geology. Rose Atoll has the highest proportion of live coral cover anywhere in the world."

 

Brendan Cummings, oceans programme director at the Center for Biological Diversity which has brought several court actions against the Bush administration on climate change, also welcomed the commercial fishing ban but said curbing greenhouse emissions was also vital for the long-term preservation of corals.

 

"Unless we deal with global warming, all other protective measures for coral reefs will be rendered meaningless," he said.

 

"Ultimately, Bush's legacy as a climate criminal will far outweigh his ocean legacy, as any benefit coral reefs receive from this monument designation will be bleached away by warming seas."

 

As well as warming the oceans, rising carbon dioxide emissions are slowly reducing the alkalinity of seawater, which is also projected to have a detrimental effect on coral growth.

 

President Bush's administration has come under fire in recent months from environmentalists angered by its reluctance to cut carbon emissions, by its moves to weaken endangered species legislation and by its support for naval use of sonar systems that can kill whales.

 

But, said Mr Reichert, the outgoing president has "protected more special places in the sea than any other person in history".

 

Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

 

 

Related Information:

WOC Website

President sends ministers to deal with Manokwari earthquakes` impacts

DISASTER AFTERMATH: Residents inspect a collapsed hotel after an earthquake struck in Manokwari, Papua province, Indonesia, Sunday. A series of powerful earthquakes at dawn killed at least three people and injured dozens more in remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, cutting power lines and badly damaging buildings. (AP/Budi Setiawan)

Jakarta (ANTARA NEWS) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the press here on Sunday that he had sent Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Transportation Minister Djusman Syafii Djamal and Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah, to Manokwari, West Papua Province, which was hit by a series of earthquakes on Sunday morning.

The three ministers had been instructed to reach the earthquake-hit location and report about the quake`s impacts as soon as possible, President Yudhoyono said on the sidelines of his visit to Ragunan Zoo, south Jakarta.

The transportation minister was sent to Manokwari because the Manokwari airport was reportedly damaged by the earthquake, according to the head of state.

The airport had to be repaired quickly to ensure smooth distribution of relief aid for the temblor`s victims, he said.

Yudhoyono said that he had talked with West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus on the phone to coordinate emergency efforts to help local residents affected by the earthquakes.

The President said that he had received a report that four residents had been killed and a number of buildings had been seriously damaged in the disaster.

"However, we have to wait until we get complete information. The most important is that the central and regional governments have worked in accordance with the existing procedures for emergency efforts. I continue to monitor the emergency responses being done," the President said.

According to information on the BMG`s website, Papua Island, the eastern most Indonesian island, was jolted by at least 25 temblors with magnitudes ranging from 5.0 to 7.6 on the Richter scale, on Sunday morning.

The earthquakes affected Manokwari and Sorong (West Papua Province), and Biak (Papua Province).

The epicenter of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake was located at 0.88 degrees southern latitude and 133.38 degrees eastern longitude, 76 km southwest of Manokwari, at a depth of 10 km below sea level.

The temblor was felt at the II -III MMI in Sorong, and IV-V MMI in Manokwari.

Hundreds of West Papua`s residents living along coastal areas, evacuated themselves to higher ground in fear of a tsunami, which did not occurred.

Fishermen find plane wrecks

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 01/03/2009 10:31 AM   

JAKARTA: While sailing to catch fish, 10 fishermen discovered the remains of an aeroplane in waters around Thousand Islands on Friday.

 

The fishermen were still being questioned as witnesses by the local police Friday. Police suspect the plane was a U.S. Navy battle plane manufactured in 1915.

 

The beach patrol was still searching for other parts in the waters between Monyet Island and Tala Island.

 

The patrol started diving at 10 a.m. They will take any additional remains to the nearby port before further investigation, said to beach patrol police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Edion, as quoted by detik.com. -JP

BMG warns E. Java tourists on bad weather

The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Sat, 01/03/2009 11:18 AM 

 

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has warned all tourists flocking tourism resorts across East Java on a possible accident following strong wind and heavy rain in the areas in days to come.

 

The BMG's weather forecast Sinta Andayani said on Saturday that heavy rain and strong winds would start striking the province on Sunday and had potencies to cause landslide, whirlwind and flood.

 

“We have predicted that heavy rain may occur in Java island today due to strong air pressure,” she told state news agency Antara on Saturday.

 

“Thus, we demand all tourists to stay alert on any possible accidents caused by bad weather,” she added. (ewd)

Indonesia allows 84 fish processing units to export to China

www.chinaview.cn, 2009-01-02 16:22:06   

       

JAKARTA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian Fisheries and Maritime Ministry will allow only 84 local fish processing units (UPI) to export their products to China starting from Feb. 1, 2009. 

"We have proceeded to register 84 processing units after considering their qualifications in exporting to China. Besides those registered units, fish export to China by other units are regarded as illegal," the Indonesian Bisnis daily on Friday quoted the Ministry's Director for Standardization and Accreditation Nazori A Djazuli as saying. 

The regulation is a follow-up to the agreement between the two countries to supervise fisheries trade and export to China. Qualifications were made by the Ministry to maintain the quality standard and food security for Chinese markets. 

According to Nazori, before the registration process, the 84 UPIs have already exported fisheries products to China. Most of them base in West Java, Central Java and East Java.

Coral reef growth is slowest ever

Coral growth in Australia's Great Barrier Reef has slowed to its most sluggish rate in the past 400 years.

 

By James Morgan, Science reporter, BBC News

 

 

 Porites and other corals provide habitat for thousands of species

 

 

The decline endangers the species the reef supports, say researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

 

They studied massive porites corals, which are several hundred years old, and found that calcification has declined by 13.3% since 1990.

 

Global warming and the increasing acidity of seawater are to blame, they write in Science journal.

 

Coral reefs are central to the formation and function of ecosystems and food webs for tens of thousands of other marine organisms.

 

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest in the world, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.

 

Dr Glenn De'ath and colleagues investigated 328 colonies of massive Porites corals, from 69 locations. 

 

 

 The largest corals are centuries old - growing at a rate of just 1.5cm per year.

 

By looking at the coral skeletons, they determined that calcification - or the deposit of calcium carbonate - has declined by 13.3% throughout the Great Barrier Reef since 1990.

 

Such a decline is unprecedented in at least the past 400 years, they write.

 

The researchers warn that changes in biodiversity are imminent, both at the Great Barrier Reef and at other reef systems throughout the world's oceans.

 

10 Local tourists rescued from sea wave

The Jakarta Post, Parapat | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:25 AM

A group of six fishermen have rescued 10 local tourists being dragged by high sea wave during their holiday visit to Toba Lake of Samosir island in North Sumatra on Thursday afternoon, state news agency Antara has reported.

The tourists who come from Medan took two boats which would bring them to enjoy the lake beauty. The drivers could not control their boats when strong wind and wave struck the boats heading to the island from Garoga beach.

Garoga beach's organizer then called the fishermen to help rescuing the tourists, while other visitors looked anxious in watching the rescue process.

One of the victims, Irianto said on Friday, he was blaming the organizer for not preparing rescue teams in case of drowning or dragged by sea wave.(ewd)

Waste, sedimentation endanger Ambon Bay's coral reefs

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:29 AM

Severe sedimentation and pollution, especially from household waste, are slowly and surely degrading the marine environment in Ambon Bay.

To make matters worse, waste gathers in the bay area where it is trapped by the rapid tides.

According to studies conducted by the Ambon chapter of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the ecological destruction in Ambon Bay is due to damage that is increasingly difficult to overcome or reverse.

The current development process, which ignores social and ecological aspects, has further worsened the area's condition.

Consequently, a number of marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are facing further threats.

A researcher at the Ambon office of LIPI's Marine Biota Conservation Center (BKBL), Daniel Sapulette, told The Jakarta Post in Ambon recently that the underwater topography of Ambon Bay was unique because of the irregular water circulation process in the bay area.

"Not only waste, but everything gets trapped in the bay, including the exchange of fresher water from the open sea. The tidal movement is also rapid," Sapulette said.

Ali Mochtar, head of LIPI's Environmental Health Technical Center in Ambon, said it would be hard to restore Ambon Bay to its original condition.

One of the concerns, he said, was that the bay and its seabed could act as a garbage dump for all sorts of toxic waste.

Mochtar said a recent study conducted by his office found high concentrations of heavy metal almost exceeding tolerable levels in several locations.

"Mercury has accumulated around waters off Galala village," he said, adding the bay area could no longer support marine farming for local communities.

A high concentration of lead, reaching 15.28 mg/kg, has also been found in sediment around the fuel depot in Waiyame and the diesel power station in Galala, while lead has been found in the waters around the regional fishing port in Tantui.

The coastal ecosystem around Ambon Bay is facing damage from gradual sedimentation and waste, with coral reefs likely to suffer the most severe damage.

Comparable studies on the condition of coral reefs in 1985 and 2007 showed drastic changes, with 23.7 percent of reefs in Ambon Bay being damaged during that period.

For example, in 1985, there was coral reef coverage in 60 percent of the waters around Liliboy village, but by 2007 this had dropped to 28.4 percent.

A BKBL researcher at Ambon LIPI, Freddy Leatemia, said the main causes of the damage to the coral in Ambon Bay were sedimentation and pollution.

"In Ery village, for example, the coral reefs have been buried by organic and nonorganic waste, including electronic goods, such as television sets and radios," he said.

According to Leatimia, none of the coral reefs in Ambon Bay is in good condition, even though some are faring better than other coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves.

"Its existence will be at further risk if waste and sedimentation are not stopped now," said Leatimia, adding that residents were still dumping waste into the rivers that empty into the sea.

Deforestation to develop residential and commercial areas in Ambon city is also contributing to the alarming rate of environmental damage, especially of the marine ecosystem. The extent of the damage is particularly great given that Ambon is a small island of only 775 square kilometers of mostly hilly terrain.

Areas that previously acted as buffer zones and catchment areas, such as Air Besar, Kayu Putih and Bukit Lateri, have been converted into residential areas.

The clearing of forested areas, without due consideration of social and ecological aspects, has led to severe silting of the bay area from runoff carried to the sea during rain.

Govt seeks amendment to shoot marine poachers on site

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:29 AM 

 

The government is seeking an amendment to the 2003 Fishery Law that would allow authorities to shoot foreign vessels on sight if they are caught poaching in Indonesian waters.

 

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry director general for marine resources surveillance, Aji Sularso, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the proposed amendment would be "intensively" deliberated as soon as the House of Representatives resumed its seating period on Jan. 19.

 

"We expect the amendment to be completed by mid-next year," he said.

 

Aji said currently the Criminal Code only allowed Indonesian sea patrols to "paralyze" fleeing vessels suspected of breaking the law in an emergency situation.

 

At sea, he said, these actions could be interpreted as shooting on sight any poaching vessels attempting to flee or resisting arrest, while ensuring the vessel crew is first rescued before the boat is sunk.

 

Critics say scuttling the vessels, however, may be in breach of the code as it destroys any possible evidence and could potentially lead to human rights violations should the patrols fail to rescue the crew.

 

"This is exactly the same policy that Australia has been implementing. Why does everybody have to fuss about our intention to do the same?" Aji said.

 

The shoot-to-sink policy could be the best way for Indonesia to safeguard its economic exclusive water territory and the welfare of its fishermen. Poaching is estimated to cause Indonesia around Rp 30 trillion (US$2.69 billion) in losses annually.

 

Aji said the sea patrols had been successful in reducing the number of poachers in the marine zone and had boosted the productivity of local fishermen.

 

The amendment of the law is also expected to improve the settlement of legal cases against poachers, with several articles of the current fishery law regarding sanctions widely open to interpretation.

 

Aji said legal loopholes frequently led to lenient sentences for convicted poachers and encouraged the acts to continue.

 

The proposed amendment also suggests more ad hoc fishery courts be established, as currently there are only five nationally.

 

Indonesia only has 21 vessels in its sea patrol force to safeguard the country's 5.8 million square kilometer marine zone.

 

The fisheries ministry said it would increase the number of sea patrol vessels to 23 next year, although acknowledged the figure fell short of the 50 vessels required to adequately monitor the area.

 

Aji said poaching had been continually increasing from year to year in Indonesia, with most perpetrators coming from Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Whale stranded on Jakat beach, Bengkulu

Bengkulu, (ANTARA News) - A whale estimated to weigh more than a ton was found stranded at the Jakat Beach, Bengkulu, on Tuesday, with a serious injury to its head possibly caused by a collision with a coral rock.

The giant mammal, which was still alive but very weak due to the wound, was found by Buyung Pesong, a local fisherman.

Pesong suspected that rough waves had tossed the whale against a coral reef.

He and other fishermen later decided to kill the whale and cut the meat into pieces for consumption by local villagers.

According to Pesong, the whale was too weak to survive, besides the whale`s meat would help fishermen and their families as rough waves and strong wind had prevented them for fishing over the past one week.