Measures needed to salvage damaged coral reefs in NTB

Panca Nugraha ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Mataram   |  Fri, 05/16/2008 12:49 PM  |  The Archipelago

The provincial fishery and maritime office in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) says almost 9,000 hectares of coral reefs along the province's coastline are damaged.

This figure represents more than 75 percent of the approximately 11,000 hectares of reefs around Lombok and Sumbawa islands.

Much of the damage was attributed to the illegal mining of coral, driven by increasing local demand for limestone for use in construction, and the use of potash fish bombs.

I Made Sudjana, head of the resource management division at the office, said only 12 percent, or 1,500 hectares, of the coral reefs was still in good condition, with another 9 percent or 1,100 hectares just barely surviving.

"Of the damaged reefs, 3,600 hectares are partially damaged and 5,300 hectares severely damaged. The total number could be more than 75 percent," he said.

The office said the main cause of coral damage was not the result of fish bombs, but more likely illegal mining of the coral for use as construction materials.

Sudjana said to curb coral damage, all relevant parties must be involved, including the government, the local community and the private sector.

"Field observations in a number of areas prone to coral theft show illegal coral mining cannot be stopped if there is still a demand from the construction sector," he said.

According to Sudjana, people have resorted to the illegal mining because of financial reasons. In Teluk Dalam subdistrict in West Lombok, where damage to reefs has reached alarming levels, 12 to 15 furnaces turning coral into limestone for construction material still operate. Each furnace produces about 100 kilograms of lime per month.

Those involved in the activity come from both the fishing and farming communities.

The local fishery office is facing difficulties clamping down on the activity which, in essence, centers around poverty.

"We can probably compensate the fishermen by providing fishing equipment so they will stop using fish bombs. But what would we provide for those who are not fishermen?" Sudjana said.

He said government intervention was needed to curb the illegal mining. The fishery office is running an intensive public awareness program to urge people not to mine coral. It is also holding talks with the local social welfare office, manpower office and other relevant agencies aimed at finding a solution to the problem.

"Basically we're dealing with impoverished communities whose livelihoods depend on this activity. We had taken the necessary steps, such as demolishing the furnaces, but it was ineffective. They just built them anew because their survival depends on the coral," Sudjana said.

He said his office would call on the government to regulate the use of coral in the construction sector.

"This is one option for us: to ban limestone as construction material. We will propose this to the government so it can draw up regulations that would lead to a halt on coral mining along the coastline," Sudjana said.

Lalu Waridi, head of the provincial fishery and maritime resources office, expressed similar sentiments and said all concerned parties, in particular farmers and villages chiefs, needed to hold a special meeting to find ways to stop the coral reef mining.

"The best solution is to ask farmers to find other jobs in the agriculture sector. The coral reefs are natural fish habitats, and the damage has caused the fish to migrate to the deep sea, away from the coastline," she said.

Tarpi'in, a 35-year-old coral reef miner, said he had been doing this for three years to support his family and could find no other jobs.

"If I had a plot of land to farm, I would change my job and gladly accept any measures by local authorities to salvage the coral reefs," he said.

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