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wo upcoming international marine events, Sail Tomini and the Boalemo Festival, are expected to result in a resolution to curb the rampant fish bombing practices blamed for the damage of coral reefs in the area.

Researcher Nilmawati of Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia said that there had been a decrease in the coverage of coral reefs in the waters of Lemito, Pohuwato regency, Gorontalo, an important part of Tomini bay, which borders three Sulawesi provinces.

 Although the decrease was relatively small, Nilmawati said, greater damage could occur if nothing was done.

 '€œCoral reefs grow very slowly, only about a centimeter annually,'€ Nilmawati told The Jakarta Post in Gorontalo recently.

In 1990, she said, the coral reef coverage in the area was 883.62 hectares. By last year, however, 143 hectares had disappeared.

 The use of explosive and trawling nets have been blamed for the damage to coral reels in the region, which has led to a decrease in fishermen'€™s catches.

By using explosives, fishermen can catch at least 700 kilograms of fish per trip. With trawling nets, meanwhile, they can collect 200 kilograms of fish per trip.

Using environmentally friendly techniques such as fishing rods or bow and arrows, on the other hand, they can catch only 5 to 6 percent of those totals.

'€œThat means that the catch obtained using explosives equals 16 days of fishing using a rod,'€ Nilmawati said.

She expressed hope that the Sail Tomini event, which is to be held in Parigi Moutong, Central Sulawesi, on September 1 and the Boalemo Festival would result in resolutions to curb the widespread damage to coral reefs in the region.

 A market approach with an environmentally friendly perspective, she went on, might be the best option to safe the coral reefs in Tomini Bay, which is known for its natural diversity.

Sail Tomini is scheduled to be officially opened by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo. The Boalemo Festival to be held on September 10, in Boalemo regency, Gorontalo, will be officially opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

Both events are scheduled to present various activities to introduce the development of Tomini Bay'€™s potential, ranging from tourism to diplomatic tours, competitions and seminars.

Tomini Bay coastal activist Ansar Akuba concurred, saying that economic factors had been the most pressing motive for the dynamiting of fish in Pohuwato regency.

'€œLack of monitoring and law enforcement in Pohuwato waters exacerbates the situation,'€ said Ansar, who is also Deputy chairman of Commission II of the Gorontalo provincial legislative council overseeing economic, maritime and coastal affairs.

He said that the two events should not focus solely on celebration and exploitation of tourism potential, but should also look at ways to deal with practices harmful to the bay and surrounding areas.

 The Gorontalo provincial administration, meanwhile, says it is striving to accelerate the development of infrastructures for the Boalemo Festival.

Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie expressed hope that local businesspeople working in the accommodation, tourism and small and medium enterprise sectors would be able to capitalize on the events.