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Government wants fish cages removed from Lake Toba to boost tourism
The government is demanding local administrations to clear the lake to boost tourism
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Amazing view: Lake Toba is so huge that it actually looks like an ocean. (ANN/The Star/Allison Lai)
T
he government aims to clear Lake Toba of floating net cages (KJA) companies and individuals use for breeding fish because they are damaging the environment and polluting the lake water.
The government demanded the North Sumatra governor and regents nearby to clear the biggest lake in Southeast Asia of KJA.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said the government’s stance is clear: Lake Toba must be free of any KJA and it wanted the "Zero KJA Movement", which was initiated several years ago, to be realized as soon as possible by the governor and regents near the lake.
“We want zero KJA for Lake Toba; the governor will lead [the movement],” Luhut said after inaugurating a ride-hailing service at Kualanamu International Airport on Thursday.
Luhut said that foreign tourists would not come to the lake if it is not completely cleared of KJA by the local administrations since the lake water has been polluted by fish pellets from the net cages. The situation would be a bad advertisement for tourism at Lake Toba, he said.
“Lake Toba is a favorite tourism spot prioritized by the government; the pollution will be our loss. That is why we need to work together in cleaning Lake Toba so that the tourism [industry] could improve in the future,” Luhut told reporters.
“It is not right to throw pig feces into the lake. Regents, please help by telling locals to not throw domestic waste away in Lake Toba,” he said.
