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Commercialization threat to fishermen
Of the 110 small islands with a total population of more than 23,000 people in the regency, more than 80 are controlled by private enterprises and individuals.
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Wharf at Pramuka Islands, Thousand Islands regency, Jakarta. Activists have criticized Jakarta administration for turning a blind eye on the privatization of islands in the regency which has affected livelihoods of local residents. (Wikimedia Commons/Amelia Samulo)
S
ulaiman says he is no longer able to fish like he used to, not because of his age, but because of restrictions imposed on him and his fellow fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds in Thousand Islands regency in the Jakarta Bay.
A native of Pari Island, one of the popular islands in the regency, Sulaiman, 38, said many of the islands in the regency had been turned into resorts run by private firms or individuals. Some of the resorts allowed local fishermen to pass through or fish in the waters near them, while others had their security guards chase away any unknown people.
“The islands that have security guards don’t even allow us to pass through [their waters] if our boat is broken or there is a storm,” Sulaiman said in a discussion on Friday.
He recalled an incident he encountered when he was out to catch fish on day.
“A group of other fishermen and I left Pari Island for our daily catch near Tengah Island. As we got closer, guards with speedboats approached us and warned us to leave the area. They brandished AK-47s,” Sulaiman said.
Sulaiman and several other residents of the area have become involved in legal disputes with private firms running resorts in the regency. Six fishermen were facing charges of trespassing, he added.
The commercialization of Thousand Islands has drawn protests from fishermen and activists, who say it threatens the islanders’ livelihood.
