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npredictable weather has dealt a severe blow to Cilacap fishermen in Central Java, with many being forced to sell their boats because they can no longer afford to pay off their bank loans.

“The weather has not been friendly for almost the whole year. We have had difficulties going out to fish due to rough seas,” said fisherman Untung Jayanto.

Jayanto heads Minosaroyo village’s cooperative, which pools the fishermen’s catches before being sold.

“Boat owners expected earnings from fishing to cover their repayments, but the fishermen have been idling throughout the year due to bad weather,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“Consequently, it would be better for us to sell our boats to pay off the loans rather than being pressed continuously by the banks for repayments,” he said.

Untung is one of the fishermen in Cilacap who has decided to sell his boat. He said he owned three boats, one an 80-ton and the two 20-ton fiberglass fishing boats.

“I will sell all three for Rp 1.2 billion (about US$120,000). I bought them in 2002 for Rp 3.5 billion,” Untung told The Jakarta Post.

Sugito said 50 boats, weighing between 20 and 80 tons, had been sold by the owners at low prices.

“We have never before seen so many selling their boats. It has been really a difficult time,” he said.

He said a Rp 10-million small boat would be sold for only Rp 3 million to Rp 5 million.

The bad weather and stormy seas have deterred the fishermen from going out to sea. If they do, the catch does not meet expectations and consequently does not cover operational costs.

Sugito said fishermen needed Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million to remain at sea for three months. He added that the three-month fishing period was usually enough to earn Rp 5 million.

“Today, earning Rp 2 million would be good, let alone Rp 5 million,” he said.