R

eclamation off Manado beach, North Sulawesi, has forced fishermen in Daseng Panglima, Sario district, to switch occupations as they find it increasingly difficult to catch fish in the area.

Since 1998, Manado has been reclaiming land off its coast for property expansion under nine licenses, covering a combined area of 700 hectares, thus depriving fishermen of their fishing grounds.

The first phase of reclamation off Manado beach occurred along the coastlines of three districts: Wenang, Sario and Malalayang. A reclamation project known as Boulevard 2 spanning three other districts, namely Tuminting, Singkil and Bunaken, is also planned.

Sudirman Hiliilo, a fisherman and fishing net maker, said that fishermen now had to go farther off the coast to catch fish.

“That’s why I have tried to find another source of income by producing nets for large-scale fishermen,” Sudirman said.

Sudirman, who is also secretary of the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen’s Association (KNTI), said that since the group was established in 2009 Antra members have never stopped struggling for their rights, especially in the last three years as the number of fishermen in the region has decreased from 29,000 to only 580.

He added that the association had repeatedly staged rallies at the Manado city legislative council but so far had only managed to win fishermen a 40 meter by 150 meter mangrove area to moor their boats.

Another fisherman, Danny Teleng, said the area was too small to moor their boats, adding that it could only accommodate 40 boats while the total number of boats in Sario Tumpaan was 105.

“That’s why many of us have switched occupation,” Danny said, adding that many had been earning a living by becoming parking attendants, motorcycle taxi drivers, traders or net makers like Sudirman.

He added that in the past he could catch hundreds of kilograms of fish in a day, but now he could only catch 2 to 3 kilograms. Such an amount is only enough to feed his family, leaving him with nothing to sell.

Thanks to fishermen’s rallies, the North Sulawesi provincial administration has issued a moratorium on reclamation licenses, pending a bylaw on zoning.

In Bali, the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council’s (PHDI) Sabha Pandita (high priests) called on the government to consider religious values in their decision on the planned Benoa Bay reclamation project.

Chairman of the high priests, Ida Pedanda Gede Ketut Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa, expressed hope that the government would consider the council’s edict, which declared Benoa Bay a sacred area.

Tianyar said there were many areas in the bay and surrounding areas believed to be sacred by the Balinese Hindu community.

The high priests, however, decided not to issue an edict on the reclamation, arguing that the project was concerned with material issues, while their concern was on theology.

“Yet, if we look at the sacred spots around the bay, it means that there is no space for reclamation there,” Tianyar added.