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Pandemic, omnibus bill may harm small-scale fishing
While their livelihoods have already been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the country’s small-scale fisherfolk could also face difficulties as a result of the omnibus bill on job creation, which may put them in unfair competition with larger fishing outfits
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hile their livelihoods have already been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the country’s small-scale fisherfolk could also face difficulties as a result of the omnibus bill on job creation, which may put them in unfair competition with larger fishing outfits.
Madina, 47, a fisherman for over two decades in Cilincing, North Jakarta, said that 2020 had, so far, been the hardest year to make ends meet.
The period from March to May is typically a productive season for fishing, even for fishermen with small vessels like himself.
Yet Madina has not been able to find markets or wholesalers willing to buy his catch at normal prices over the past few months, given that many businesses — like restaurants — are suffering financially as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Madina said he used to be able to sell various fish at around Rp 18,000 (US$1.20) per kilogram and up to Rp 30,000 for crabs. But now, he can only sell fish for around Rp 10,000 per kg – and sometimes as low as Rp 5,500 per kg – to fish-curing businesses just to get through the day.
The daily catch varies among fishermen, depending on the size of their boats. A small fishing vessel with two to three additional crew members can usually catch 20 to 40 kg of fish per day, according to Madina. Meanwhile, he must spend at least Rp 160,000 a day on fuel and other expenses for fishing.
“Because of the pandemic and social restrictions, every [fishermen] here in Cilincing is affected,” Madina told The Jakarta Post. “But we can’t keep wallowing in it.”
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“If there are no distinct categories, we fear that larger-scale fishermen will receive the same privileges as smaller fishermen.”
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Activists have warned of another looming threat when the pandemic is over: the omnibus bill, which focuses on luring new investment and revises several provisions in the 2004 law on fisheries and the 2016 law on protections for small-scale fisherfolk.
In particular, it no longer distinguishes between fisherfolk with large boats and those with small boats, which critics say may put small-scale fisherfolk in unfair competition with large-scale commercial fishing operations.
According to the 2004 law, small-scale fishermen are those operating boats under 5 gross tonnage (GT). The 2016 law provides privileges and government subsidies for fishermen with boats under 10 GT.
Activists have also criticized the omnibus bill for requiring small fishermen to have permits.
“If there are no distinct categories, we fear that larger-scale fishermen will receive the same privileges as smaller fishermen,” Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (Kehati) program director Rony Megawanto said in a recent online public discussion.
He warned that the omnibus bill would also encourage overfishing and threaten marine biodiversity.
Not many small-scale fisherfolk realize the impacts the omnibus bill would have on their livelihoods in the long run,
Madina said.
“Not to mention, not many of us have access to information about the omnibus bill,” he said.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry director general for capture fisheries Zulfikar Muchtar said that under the omnibus bill, fisherfolk would instead be classified according to the scale of their businesses.
“If we run a simulation based on the scale of business, small fishermen will be on par with micro and small enterprises. These small-scale fishermen will later be exempted from certain regulations [and obligations], just like what the government is doing with micro and small enterprises,” Zulfikar said.
He promised to look into the issue and consider the needs of small-scale fisherfolk, who make up about 90 percent of fisherfolk in Indonesia.
According to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry data, there are 572,270 fishing boats in the country, 506,720 of which are boats smaller than 5 GT; 43,696 are between 5 and 10 GT; 17,121 are between 10 and 30 GT; and 4,734 are over 30 GT.
Zulfikar said adjustments favoring traditional fisherfolk could be added by implementing new government regulations (PPs) after the omnibus bill was passed into law.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo has encouraged fishermen to apply for loans at the Public Service Agency for Marine and Fisheries Capital Management (BLU-LPMUKP).
“Let’s make use of the BLU loan which offers an interest rate of only 3 percent,” Edhy said during a recent virtual public audience with the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen Association (KNTI).
