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Fishermen take conservation into their own hands
Fresh sprout: A volunteer monitors the growth of transplanted coral at Kondang Merak Beach in Malang, East Java
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Fresh sprout: A volunteer monitors the growth of transplanted coral at Kondang Merak Beach in Malang, East Java.
Kondang Merak Beach in Malang regency, East Java, is home to a coral reef that stretches some 5 kilometers along the southern shoreline of Java.
The area was badly damaged by fishermen using explosives and crowbars when fishing. From the 1990s, they also used potassium to catch fish. Such activities reportedly destroyed 80 percent of the coral reef in the area.
The worsening damage has prompted some young people to try to find solutions by promoting environmental awareness and conserving the coast by involving fishermen. In 2010, they set up Sahabat Alam (Nature's Friend), an environmental group including fishermen, students and researchers.
Since then, the group has been actively engaged in Kondang Merak's coastal environment conservation by growing coral and planting mangroves.
Fishermen were first taught how to perform coral transplants and cultivate mangroves.
'I used to take whatever was in the sea for money, now I realize it was unwise and destructive,' said Bagio, a 38-year-old fisherman.
Coral transplants started in 2012 by using bamboo nets, because of their lower costs and ease of production. Fishermen used hard coral for the transplants.
In the process, after preparing bamboo nets and coral growing plots, acropora coral colonies were collected from the seabed and cut into 7-centimeter long pieces. They were then attached to substrates with cement or putty as a medium and placed back in the sea.
In Kondang Merak waters, coral transplants are laid 1-4 meters deep and 10-70 m from the shore. Artificial reefs, which use fish-breeding beams, are placed at a depth of 5-10 m and 50-100 m from the shore.
'I'm happy to be able to share my experience and knowledge about marine life, mangrove cultivation and coral transplants with the coast's visitors,' said Edi Cahyono, a 64-year-old fisherman.
The growth of coral, which has reached around 5 cm annually, is affected by location, water temperature, acidity, salinity and sunlight. It is constantly monitored by the fishermen.
The campaign, which has helped to change the fishermen's attitude and mind-sets, has also been introduced to senior high school dropouts in the area. They were also taught about coral transplant technology in phases.
After several years working together, the fishermen were pleasantly surprised by the government's and visitors' responses to their efforts. They were recently granted diving equipment to further assist them in their conservation efforts.
'We only take assistance in the form of goods, equipment and coral transplant materials. We don't take financial assistance,' said Arif F. Salam, the group's facilitator.
With better equipment, Kondang Merak fishermen can now share their knowledge and experience more widely.
' Photos by Aman Rochman
