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Stormy weather forces Cilacap fishermen to stay on land for days
Stormy weather from two tropical cyclones over the Indian Ocean has prevented thousands of fishermen in Cilacap regency from going out to sea for days.
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Hundreds of fishing boats are moored at Teluk Penyu beach in Cilacap, Central Java, in this file photo. The Fishermen have temporary halted fishing activities because of high waves. (JP/Agus Maryono)
Stormy weather from two tropical cyclones over the Indian Ocean has prevented thousands of fishermen in Cilacap regency from going out to sea for days.
The fishermen decided to stay on land following warnings issued by the local office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) about stormy weather at sea.
While waiting for the storm to pass, the fishermen were doing repair work on their boats and fishing equipment, said Teuku Iskandar, a local representative of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (HNSI). Some fishermen also did random jobs to make ends meet, he said.
A local fishermen called Ahmad, 45, said he had borrowed money from relatives to meet his family’s needs and would settle his debts once he returned to the sea.
There are more than 30,000 fishermen in Cilacap regency, most of whom use traditional fishing methods and small vessels, according to the HNSI.
In addition to cyclone Cempaka hitting Java Island, the BMKG had detected another cyclone, named Dahlia, to the south-west of Jakarta, moving at 13 kilometers per hour, BMKG Cilacap head Teguh Wardoyo said.
Cyclone Dahlia had the potential to trigger up to 6-meter high tidal waves from Lampung, Sumatra, all the way down to the southern part of Java.
“We are warning fishermen to stay off the sea, as the high waves are dangerous for both small and big vessels,” he said. (vla/rin)
