India, Indonesia take up coordinated patrolling of Malacca Straits from Oct 18

By M Rama Rao - India Editor, Asian Tribune, New Delhi, 18 October,

India will join Indonesia on October 18 to undertake ‘coordinated’ patrolling of Malacca Straits. India is not new to the exercise and what begins on Sunday is the ‘14th cycle’ of cooperation between the two navies.

Code-named ‘Ind-Indo Corpat’, the patrolling of one of the most piracy prone seaways will continue till Nov 5.

Both countries share an International Maritime Boundary of about 300 nautical miles.

In a coordinated patrolling, the two sides remain inside their maritime boundaries but remain constantly touch and keep each other updated on the movements and the situation in the sea.

Such patrolling seeks to prevent piracy, armed robberies, poaching, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.

Tactical command of the operation will be headed by Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andaman & Nicobar) on the Indian side and Commander of Sea Security Group of Western Fleet (located at Tanjung Pinang) on the Indonesian side.

The overall control will rest with Vice Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, Commander-in-Chief of Andaman Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and Commander of Indonesian Western Fleet Command (PANGARMABAR), officials said here

The Indian Navy is deploying one Landing Ship Tank (Medium), INS Mahish, under the command of Cdr MVR Krishna and one Fast Attack Craft, INS Trinkat, under the command of Lt Cdr Pushkar Kumar. In addition there will be one Indian Naval Dornier.

The Indonesian Navy is deploying one corvette and a Dornier aircraft.

Operation CORPAT will get underway with an opening ceremony at Belawan, Indonesia; the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andaman & Nicobar) Cmde P Suresh, will lead the Indian delegation. The closing ceremony will be conducted on 04 Nov 09 at Port Blair.

India is also closing ranks with Maldives to protect their maritime boundary. A Dornier maritime patrol aircraft will be deployed in the Maldives as part of the security assistance.

New Delhi has agreed to help Male to secure its waters from pirates and threat from terror groups.

Maldives cabinet makes a splash

BBC News, 05:48 GMT, Saturday, 17 October 2009 06:48

The government of the Maldives has held a cabinet meeting about five metres (16ft) underwater to highlight the threat of global warming.

The cabinet were joined by instructors and military escorts

President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions.

Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed and communicated with white boards and hand signals.

Officials from the low-lying island nation say the dive is "a bit of fun", intended to send a serious message.

The Maldives stand an average of 2.1 metres (7ft) above sea level, and the government says they face being wiped out if oceans rise.

Military minders

Three of the 14 cabinet ministers missed the underwater meeting because two were not given medical permission and another was abroad, officials said.

President Nasheed and other cabinet members taking part had been practising their slow breathing to get into the right mental frame for the meeting, a government source said.

On Friday, ministers carried out practice dives off the island of Girifushi, about 20 minutes by boat from the capital, Male.

About 5m underwater, in a blue-green lagoon on a small island used for military training, they were observed by a clutch of snorkelling journalists.

Each minister was accompanied by a diving instructor and a military minder.

While underwater, they signed a document ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, calling on all nations to cut their carbon emissions.

World leaders at the summit aim to create a new agreement to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Related Article:

Maldives government holds underwater cabinet meeting

Indonesia on alert for tsunami drill

BBC News, by Karishma Vaswani, Jakarta

Indonesians are still reeling from the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of Sumatra last month, killing at least 1,100 people and injuring many more.

However, as efforts shift from rescuing survivors to rebuilding the provincial capital, Padang, and outlying villages, some people have already begun to discuss whether the country is sufficiently prepared for another natural disaster.

Now a tsunami drill being held on Wednesday in 18 countries around the Indian Ocean rim aims to test the responses of local authorities and the public.

Experts are agreed that another powerful earthquake could hit the area anytime in the near future.

But they are unsure if the Indonesian emergency response teams are equipped to react quickly and effectively to a crisis on a similar scale.

The country's National Disaster Management Agency has acknowledged that it was too slow to respond to the Sumatra earthquake, which brought down hospitals, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides.

"On the first day, it was just pure panic," Priyo Kardono, a spokesman for the agency, told the BBC.

"We couldn't contact our colleagues in Padang because they were affected by the disaster. It's human nature to save your family first in these circumstances. But everyone needs to evaluate their readiness and response to emergencies like these," he added.

Public response

The panic in Padang saw the city's airport closed for 12 crucial hours - an important window during which the authorities could have sent much-needed emergency rescue and relief teams to the area.

In 2004, the only warning most people had was the sight of a giant wave

The head of the Indonesian Seismological Agency, Fauzi, says that was because many of the airport workers rushed home to check on their families.

"Padang airport was abandoned shortly after the earthquake, because the workers were scared," he adds. "We urgently need systems in place to test the public's response to disasters like this, to see how they will react."

Garnering information about the responses of both the authorities and the public is one of the aims of Wednesday's tsunami drill.

Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09 will simulate the 9.2-magnitude earthquake which struck off the north-western coast of Sumatra in 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries, more than half of them in the Indonesian province of Aceh.

Held on World Disaster Reduction Day, the exercise will be the first ocean-wide test of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS), set up by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) the following year.

When the tsunami struck five years ago, the only warning most people in the region had was the sight of a giant wave heading towards them.

Unlike the Pacific, the Indian Ocean did not have a system to alert residents of coastal areas that a tsunami was imminent.

Shortly after last month's earthquake in Sumatra, an alert was quickly broadcast warning people in low-lying coastal areas of the possibility of another tsunami and ordering them to evacuate to higher ground. It was eventually lifted, however, as a tsunami did not materialise.

Vital co-operation

Unesco is helping to organise Wednesday's tsunami exercise. According to the UN agency, it will be the first time that the IOTWS will be tested worldwide.

Spokeswoman Sue Williams says one of the major challenges has been to get all the countries who signed up to the system to share data.

"The countries have to share their data otherwise this system won't work," she explains.

"If a tsunami is generated off the coast of Indonesia and is on its way to Africa - then African authorities need to have data about the wave at the source, where it began its journey. That means sharing seismic data and maps - and that was a very important part of the discussions and negotiations we had before we signed this agreement."

Another major challenge is getting the information about a potential tsunami out to people in the coastal areas, Ms Williams says.

"The instruments that are used to measure seismic activity and tsunami activity are in the water - the thing to watch is what happens on the beach," she adds.

"We've seen that national authorities can get the message out about a potential tsunami very quickly, but getting the message out to the communities on the coast is a completely different challenge."

"If the fault line of the earthquake is very close to the coast - the way it was in Aceh - then people have only got a few minutes to act," she warns.

Equipment shortage

The Indonesian government wants to deliver tsunami alerts to its citizens and those most at risk from the destructive wave within five minutes of an underwater earthquake in the region.

But experts say that will not be achieved until the country has installed at least 22 buoys, 120 tide gauges and 160 seismographs in its waters.

So far, according to the Indonesian Seismological Agency, it only has 14 buoys, 60 tide gauges and 150 seismographs.

The system is expected to be fully completed by 2010, but is already operational. Much of the funding for it has come from international donors, including Germany, Japan and China.

Wednesday's test will therefore determine whether the Indonesian authorities have spent that money wisely, and whether people are prepared for another catastrophe.

Related Articles:

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Aceh Tsunami Drills Open Old Wounds

Survey shows many collapsed buildings in Padang were poorly constructed

Are Indonesia, Samoa and Vanuatu Quakes Linked?

New govt quota system to preserve coral reefs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 10/13/2009 12:10 PM

The government plans to set a quota on coral trading to ensure the sustainability of marine biodiversity, a minister revealed Monday.

"Coral reefs are very important for our country, as it is located within *the* Coral Triangle area," Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fredy Numberi told a press conference during a symposium on coral reef management.

The quota system was recommended by the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Fredy said.

It was reported that a piece of coral is sold for Rp 1,000 (10 US cents) to Rp 3,000 while the replacement of the same coral would cost between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000.

It takes at least one year for a coral reef to grow by one centimeter.

A 2003 Johns Hopkins University study revealed Indonesia's 85,000-square-kilometer coral reef area is home to a third of the world's coral and a quarter of its fish species.

Indonesia has fallen victim to destructive fishing, unregulated tourism and climatic changes, as well as coral trading. Data from 414 reef monitoring stations in 2000 found that only six percent of Indonesia's coral reefs are in excellent condition, while 24 percent are in good condition, and about 70 percent are only in poor to fair condition.

Yaya Mulyana, the director of the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program Phase II (COREMAP II), said once the government has set a quota, traders will be advised to sell only transplanted coral .

There are about 50 species of coral in Bali and West Nusa Tenggara that can be transplanted.

State Minister for national development planning (Bappenas) Paskah Suzetta said the government would produce a blueprint to address several maritime issues such as fisheries, tourism, sea resources, and modes of sea transportation.

"The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry *DKP* and Bappenas will cooperate in drafting the blueprint," Paskah said on the sidelines of the symposium. (naf)

Jakarta holds S Lanka 'migrants'

BBC News

Indonesia has detained nearly 260 Sri Lankans suspected of trying to sail illegally to Australia, an Indonesian navy spokesman says.

He said a cargo ship holding the would-be migrants had been intercepted by the navy in the Sunda Strait - between Java and Sumatra islands.

The Sri Lankans will now be taken to an immigration office for questioning.

Migrants from war-torn countries often sail through Indonesian waters to try to get to Australia.

An Indonesian Navy spokesman told the BBC that women and children were among the group.

Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils have left the country as a result of the fighting between the Tamil Tigers and the government forces.

It is not clear if the captured Sri Lankans in Indonesia were Tamils or Sinhalese.

In May, the Sri Lankan government announced the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

Vietnam Eyes Significant Orders At Dubai Seafood Show

Bernama, by Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Vietnam, which is aiming to export US$4 billion worth of seafood this year, hopes to secure significant orders at the upcoming Dubai Seafood Expo 2009.

Under the umbrella of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep), a total of 11 Vietnamese seafood exporters are set to showcase their high quality products at the event.

Its Deputy General Secretary, Nguyen Hoai Nam, said players in the Vietnamese fisheries sector were taking major strides in improving product quality and ensuring continuous double shipments to demanding markets such as the Middle East, East Europe, Africa and South America.

They are also not forgetting traditional markets like China, United States, European Union, Japan, Canada and South Korea, said Nguyen ahead of the three-day seafood show beginning Oct 12 in Madinat Jumeirah here.

Vietnam, a member of Asean, which groups 10 Southeast Asian nations, is further aiming to boost its exports of various items, including frozen seafood, such as Pangasius fillet, shrimp, Cephalopus and marine fish.

In 2008, Vietnam recorded US$62.3 million in seafood exports to the Middle East, including US$28.8 million to the United Arab Emirates, according to Vasep.

Fisheries export is being positioned as the nation's fourth largest hard currency earner.

Organised by Orange Fairs & Events, the seafood show attracts participants from other Asean members like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

500 kiloliters of oil pollute Timor Sea everyday, threaten fishermen: Vice Governor

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang | Fri, 10/02/2009 4:14 PM

About 500,000 liters of crude oil pollute Timor Sea in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, threatening hundreds of fishermen, NTT Vice Governor Esthon Foennay said on Friday.

PTTEP Australasia, a petroleum exploration company that owns an offshore drilling rig off northwestern Australia, has admitted that the rig has been leaking oil and gas into the sea since August 21.

The drilling rig is located about 150 miles (250 kilometers) to the northwest of the Kimberley coast in Western Australia state.

Esthon expressed his deep concern for the pollution.

"Timor Sea has been globally known as a sea with rich natural resources. In addition, hundreds of fishermen are rely on the sea for their livelihood."

"We won't wait any longer. I have reported this issue to the central government so that we can talk to Australia as soon as possible," he said.

The oil spill occurred 50 miles away from the Timor Barat coast and will likely reach the shore in two weeks.

The Indonesian Navy has reportedly sent a warship to patrol around the spill site.

1st Asia Superyacht Conference announces more keynote speakers

Marine Business News

'ONE015 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove will host the 1st Asia Superyacht Conference, featuring top calibre speakers from around the world.'

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Superyacht Singapore Association (SSA), organisers of the 1st Asia Superyacht Conference to be held 13-15 October in Singapore, has announced further enhancements to the conference.

Dr Aji Sularso, Director General of Marine & Fisheries Surveillance of Indonesia, is a new keynote speaker who will be discussing both the opportunities for cruising superyachts in Indonesia and also how the Indonesian Government can expand the opportunity through marine tourism investment and deregulation.

Simon Turner of the SSA commented, 'We are delighted to welcome Dr Sularso to the conference for what will be a critical presentation that the industry across the whole region is keen to hear.'

Danielle Mass will also be adding her international superyacht insurance experience to the programme and will be delivering a presentation on behalf of Chartis Insurance covering transport, operation and maintenance insurance considerations for superyachts in Asia.

Another new speaker on the programme is Nick Coombes of Asia Pacific Superyachts. Nick has 16 years experience as a Superyacht captain and is also a regional expert on maintenance and refit. In addition to the presentation, Asia Pacific Superyachts will be hosting a networking drinks reception on the floating bar at ONE°15 Marina Club on Monday evening, 12th October.

A formal dinner has also now been added to the programme on Tuesday 13th October which will be hosted by the Official Conference Hotel, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. The dinner will follow the networking drinks reception sponsored by Sevenstar Yacht Transport.

The conference continues to book well with delegates attending from over 30 countries from around the world. 'It’s exciting to see so many companies that are new to us booking for the conference. Delegates from within and outside the region will have an unprecedented opportunity to make new business contacts and learn about the business in Asia,' commented SSA Executive Director, Jean-Jacques Lavigne.

About The Conference

The 1st Asia Superyacht Conference will take place on 13-14 October at ONE°15 Marina Club (one of the sponsors) on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The two day conference will be followed by a day of marina visits in Singapore on the 15th to view Superyacht facilities.

The main conference, lead sponsored by MTU, aims to set an agenda for the Asian superyacht industry by understanding the opportunities and limitations for both superyacht cruising and building in the region. The conference includes over 25 speakers from 15 different countries with a focus from China to Australia.

For more information, please contact Ms Priscilla Tang at marketing@superyacht.sg or download the latest programme brochure at http://www.superyacht.sg/images/stories/gallery/1stASCbrochure/1stasiasuperyachtconferencev5.pdf

Boediono`s Maluku visit Expected to promote Sail Banda 2010

Antara, Saturday, September 26, 2009 15:03 WIB

Banda Neira (ANTARA News) - Vice President-elect Boediono`s visit to Maluku is of strategic significance for the promotion of Sail Banda 2010, Maluku Culture and Tourism Office head Florance Sahusilawane said here on Saturday.

"Boediono`s visit to the spice islands in Maluku is a sign that the gong for the promotion of Sail Banda 2010 has been sounded, because it is the vice president-elect who will spearheaded the campaign to promote the international sail event," Sahusilawane said.

She said Boediono`s presence in Banda Neira from Saturday to Monday (Sept 26-28) was an indication security conditions in Maluku were conducive for the international event which will follow the Sail Bunaken 2009 which took place in Agust this year in Manado, North Sulawesi.

"The preparedness of the people of Banda to receive Boediono indicates that they are also ready to host Sail Banda 2010," Sahusilawane said, adding that the event was to be organized as an international marine expedition.

She said the idea to hold the international event was being designed by adopting the past period of "hongitochten", punitive expeditions conducted by the Dutch to suppress uprisings in Seram, particularly in the clove-rich peninsula of Hoamoal and nearby islands with traditional boats.

Therefore, Sahusilawane called on villages across Maluku which have typical traditional boats to take part in and liven up Sail Banda 2010.

She said the promotion of Sail Banda 2010 would not be very difficult because the Banda islands were already known worldwide as the "spice islands", while UNESCO had named the islands one of the world`s heritages.

Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said recently that some 150 sail boats from a number of countries had been registered to take part in Sail Banda 2010.

"I met Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik in Jakarta recently and he said about 150 sail boats have signed up for the international maritime event in Maluku next year," the governor said.

Dutch help Bay Area plan for sea level rise

By Julia Scott, San Mateo County Times, 09/21/2009 05:20:10 PM PDT

A conceptual example of "tidal embracing development" in Foster City that accommodates sea level rise with a series of wetlands, a short levee with a public park behind it, and a thicker levee protecting apartment buildings. (Conceptual drawing courtesy Arcadis)

A conceptual example of "tidal embracing development" on the San Francisco waterfront 50 years from now. The first level of the building has some limited uses but allows water to flow through. The second floor is more protected, and the building has a "green" roof to absorb stormwater. (Conceptual drawing courtesy Arcadis)

SAN FRANCISCO — How to plan for sea level rise, a still-abstract concept for many Californians, drew serious consideration from engineers, designers and urban planners from the Netherlands and the United States at a symposium Monday.

A group of government-sponsored Dutch experts presented a report with strategies to deal with sea level rise in San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta based on a year's worth of research in partnership with the Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

With 50 percent of the Netherlands below sea level, the Dutch have been perfecting flood protection for the past 600 years.

The inevitable effects of climate change in California, and how cities can adapt to them, are starting to get more attention from Bay Area planners. While no one knows exactly how sea level rise will play out 100 or 200 years from now, analysts agree that more severe and frequent floods are going to be a part of it.

Avoiding sea level rise is by now impossible. The Bay has risen 8 inches since the start of the 20th century, and scientists worldwide agree that the Bay Area in particular can expect to experience sea level rise of as much as 16 inches by midcentury and as much as 55 inches by 2100.

Extreme storms will increase annual risk of flooding from 1 percent to 100 percent if no actions are taken to protect the Bay Area shoreline, potentially endangering 270,000 residents, according to the Pacific Institute. Development along the shoreline is currently valued at $62 billion.

How to plan for a future in which some of that real estate is threatened by storm surges — for a time beyond what today's urban planners will live to see — is the crucial question, said Will Travis, executive director of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

"We're in the same position as the captain of the Titanic. By the time he looked up, it was too late — he was going to hit (the iceberg)," he said. "We need to stop trying to protect the Bay Area the way it is.

Instead, we need to design it for the way it will be in the future."

That future may involve dismantling development in some places and letting the tide take its course, according to the report. Regional leaders may decide that some areas, such as the Port of Oakland and both regional airports, are too valuable to lose and must be protected at all costs. Other areas could be transformed to incorporate rising tides into the heart of a city.

The key is to begin asking those questions now, especially as several major developments at the edge of the Bay await approval, including Treasure Island and a Cargill saltworks site in Redwood City. Those areas were singled out in the report as "hot spots" for the Bay, meaning they represent the types of development most at risk from sea level rise.

"Just as in an emergency room, making these policy decisions will be difficult," Travis said. "It may be better to abandon some places than to allow the houses to be built and then try to protect them from flooding."

Frustratingly little is known about how well protected the Bay Area is from a serious flood even now, according to the report. (Cities on the Bay are expected to prepare for a once-in-a-century flood, but the shores of the Netherlands are armored with flood gates and other equipment strong enough to withstand a once-in-10,000-year onslaught from the North Sea.)

While many of the Bay Area's most vulnerable and valuable areas are protected by federally certified levees, they were all built before planners became aware of how sea level rise would change the whole equation.

Simply building higher levees is not a silver bullet, however. The Dutch came to that conclusion in 1995 after major flooding through the country's interior estuaries made them rethink the policy of walling off every section of river. They invented a new concept, called "living with water," designed to embrace sea level rise. They raised houses and let water flow underneath them. The government bought farmland along waterways and turned it into tidal wetlands, which naturally absorb water.

"People realize we can't just raise levees forever. If something goes wrong, you have an entire city that will be flooded in an instant. Water is a fact — we need to do something about it," said David Van Raalten, project manager for the pilot project between the Netherlands and California and a principal in ARCADIS, an international engineering and consultancy firm.

Rather than propose a series of tailor-made design solutions for each Bay Area "hot spot" based on a Dutch blueprint, the report offers a new way of thinking about what types of development ought to exist in which area. Zones with high economic value might continue to fill the Bay and expand with the help of levees and sea walls. Another option, labeled "tidal embracing development," could involve urban tidal canals carved into the suburbs or parking lots that retain storm water underground.

The Dutch government has formed similar partnerships in most of the world's most vulnerable water regions, including Louisiana, Indonesia, the Yangzee Delta in China and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, with the goal of sharing expertise and learning from each other.

The Dutch government spent 120,000 euros, or $176,000, on the Bay Area pilot project and is proposing to invest another 100,000 euros for further research in California, provided the state can match the money.

Indonesia Ornamental Fish Show 2009

The Jakarta Post,

Venue: Jakarta Convention Center - Date: Thu, 10/08/2009 - Sun, 10/11/2009

The Indonesia Ornamental Fish Show 2009 (IOFS), an official exhibition and business from of the Ministry of the Marine and Fishery, is designed to promote the richness and multi-variety of hundreds of Indonesian ornamental fish and aquatic products. As the largest archipelago country in the world, Indonesia has been a leading fish ornamental and aquatic products exporter to all parts of the world.

Besides showcasing ornamental fish and aquatic products, the show is also displaying supporting products and accessories of ornamental fish.

Punishing waves

The Jakarta Post, Mon, 09/07/2009 6:35 PM

Residents of Podiaman, Banda Aceh, observe high waves that brought down a number of trees on a nearby beach. The high waves have destroyed hundreds of houses along the beach, near Banda Aceh. JP/Hotli Simanjuntak

House asks additional budget for maritime ministry

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 00:56 WIB

(ANTARA/Ampelsa/*)Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The House of Representatives (DPR) has asked the government to increase its budget allocation for the Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs (DKP) in 2010 to Rp4.5 trillion.

Fishermen show yellow tuna in Banda Aceh seaport.

"A budget of Rp3.104 trillion has been agreed. Now we are asking for Rp1.4 trillion in budget addition," chairman of DPR`s Commission IV for maritime and fisheries affairs, Arifin Junaidi, said after a hearing with the DKP minister here on Tuesday.

Commission IV of the House initially asked the government to set a provisional budget ceiling of Rp6 trillion for the DKP in 2010.

But the provisional budge ceiling that has been agreed for 2010 accounts for Rp3.104 trillion only.

"If the additional budget could not accepted for the 2010 budget, we will do our best to ask for additional Rp1.4 trillion in the 2010 revised budget," he said.

Tsunami early warning system fails during W Java quake

Antara, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 19:06 WIB

Palabuhanratu, Sukabumi (ANTARA News) - A tsunami early warning system or TEWS installed at Palabuhanratu Beach, Sukabumi district, West Java, did not work well when a powerful earthquake rocked the area at 02:55 pm on Wednesday.

7.3 shock: An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale jolted the southern part of West Java at 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday. The tremor was felt as far as Jakarta and Yogyakarta in Central Java. (The Jakarrta Post)

ANTARA News learned at the beach on the occasion that the TEWS sounded for 10 seconds but then stopped.

At the same time, electricity in the area was also down.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook southwest Tasikmalaya, West Java, on Wednesday at 02.55 pm Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB), causing people as far as in Jakarta to be panic-stricken.

The quake`s epicenter was located at 8.24 degrees southern latitude, and 107.32 degrees eastern longitude, according to information from the meteorological, climatology, and geophysics (BMKG) office.

Meanwhile, head of the Palabuhanratu Fishery Port (PPNP), Arief Rahman said the quake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami at the Pelabuhanratu because the region was blocked by the Ujung Genteng Beach.

"But if another aftershock happens, people are suggested to immediately take the evacuation route," Rahman said.

Information obtained from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said the quake`s epicenter was at 142 kilometers southwest of Tasikmalaya, West Java at a depth of 30 kilometers beneath the sea level.

The quake that lasted about one minute was also felt in Jakarta and some areas of West Java.

However, about 200 fishermen who were at sea were not disturbed and continued their activity.

There were no immediate reports of casualties and damage caused by the earthquake.

Related Articles:

Powerful Indonesia quake kills 15, flattens homes

Six dead as major earthquake strikes Indonesia

BMKG website down after quake

President instructs West Java governor, Tasikmalaya regent to be alert after earthquake

Businessman to develop Islamic resorts

Indra Harsaputra and Achmad Faisal, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Tue, 09/01/2009 5:45 PM

A Sumenep legislative council member confirmed reports that two islands off Madura had been sold to a businessman who intends to develop them into resorts.

Councilor Badrul Aini said Tuesday that businessman Zainal Seniya bought the islands and had leased them to Canadian and Singaporean investors.

“Both Sitabok and Seradeng islands will be developed into maritime resorts equaling Bunaken [North Sulawesi],” Badrul said.

Local cleric Dailami Abu Hurairah, who is close to the businessman, said the two islands would be Islamic resorts and target Middle East tourists.

“We have been involved in the project and will help operate the maritime resorts, which will follow an Islamic concept,” Dailami said.

He said many Middle East tourists felt uncomfortable with major tourist destinations like Bali, which do not promote Islamic values.

Deputy Sumenep Regent Mochammad Dahlan said the two islands belonged to the state and had not been sold to anyone.

RI Navy to buy two submarines in 2011 or 2012

Monday, August 31, 2009 22:42 WIB

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Navy intends to procure two submarines in 2011 or 2012 at a total cost of about US$700 million, its chief, Admiral Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, said here Monday.

(istimewa/ANTARA)

"The procurement plan for execution in 2011 or 2012 is currently being worked out by the defense ministry," Parijanto told the press after installing a new chief for the Indonesian navy`s Eastern Fleet Command.

"We still have to decide from which country we will buy the submarines and also have yet to determine their specifications. We may buy them from Korea, France or Russia," he said.

At present, the Indonesian navy had two German-made submarines but they were of very old vintage, he said, adding one of them some time ago underwent an overhaul, and the other now would follow suit soon.

The navy had yet to determine the specifications of the two yet-to-be-purchased submarines but it was clear that they must have capabilities on a par with or , if possible exceeding, those of subamrines owned by neighboring countries, he said.

It was hoped the additional submarines would enable the navy to guard Indonesia`s vast maritime territory in a more effective way, the navy chief said.

Meanwhile, the post of chief of the navy`s Eastern Fleet Command based in Surabaya was transferred from Rear Admiral Lili Supramono to Commodore Ignatius Dadiek Surarto who was previously commander of the main naval base in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Rear Admiral Lili Supramono was to be reassigned as a special assistant to the navy chief of staff at the navy`s headquarters.

Related Article:

RI yet to choose prospective submarine supplier

Indonesian Navy intensifying security of outermost islands

Monday, August 31, 2009 22:52 WIB

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian navy continued intensifying operations to secure the country`s outermost islands in anticipation of possible occupation by foreign countries.

Navy chief of staff Admiral Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno told newsmen here on Monday he had already prepared special forces to secure the islands.

"So far we have not received reports about disputes over the islands but we keep securing them," he said at the handing over of the post of commander of the Eastern Fleet Command from Rear Admiral Lili Supramono to Commodore Ignatius Dadiek Surarto.

He said that although with limited personnel and equipment, the navy remained committed to seriously carrying out its duty to secure the regions.

The navy`s warships in their operations to secure the islands are also assisted by ships from the police and other institutions.

"For the security in Ambalat six warships remained in place to anticipate possible infiltration by ships from Malaysia. Naval personnel are ready to intercept in case a foreign ship is infiltrating," he said.

Tension was rising in the region when Malaysian ships conducted manouvering and infiltrating the waters some time ago.

In connection with reports about the sale of a number of isles in several regions Admiral Tedjo said it was impossible to happen because they were not for sale.

"What I know is that no isle has been sold but probably they are just leased to investors. It is a mere misperception which must be straightened out," he said.

The new Eastern Fleet Command chief, Commodore Dadiek Surarto, used to be the chief of staff of the Military Seaborn Command and the VIth Navy Main Base in Makassar. Rear Lili Supramono has been assigned as a special staff to the navy`s chief.