Waste, Oil Threaten Jakarta’s Coastal Ecosystem

Waste mixed with oil is polluting the water around Pari Island in Jakarta’s Thousand Islands regency. Affecting fishing zones and tourist areas, it threatens local livelihoods that depend on an intact environment.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Garbage with oil covers the water at the beach of Pari Island in Kepulauan Seribu regency, Jakarta, Friday (30/11/2018). Authorities have yet to find the source of the oil, which has polluted the area since Monday (26/11/2018).

KEPULAUAN SERIBU, KOMPAS — Waste mixed with oil is polluting the water around Pari Island in Jakarta’s Kepulauan Seribu regency. Affecting fishing zones and tourist areas, it threatens local livelihoods that depend on an intact environment.

Because of the oily waste, Pari islander Sulaiman, 38, is having a hard time catching mackerel. He can spend an entire day at sea without catching anything. “On Monday, I got 6 kilograms of mackerel, but on Tuesday [27/11/2018], I did not catch anything,” Sulaiman said on Pari Island on Friday (30/11/2018).

At Rp 50,000 (US$3.49) per kilogram of mackerel, he can earn Rp 300,000 if he catches 6 kg.

Of this, he can bring home around Rp 180,000 after covering operational costs, including for diesel. In other words, with marine pollution around Pari Island, his daily income of Rp 180,000 is at stake for Sulaiman.

Oily waste around Pari Island has got local fish farmers worried, as well. Fish farmer Sartono, 36, said he lost Rp 50 million late last year as his 500 groupers and pomfrets died when oil polluted his 25 fish cages.

Last Friday, oily waste was discovered to the south of Pari Island, especially on the eastern side of its port. Most of the material was plastic, such as drinking cups, bottles, carrier bags, food wrapping and deodorizer containers.

Sticky

Officials from the Kepulauan Seribu Environmental Agency have picked up waste washed up on Pari Island. Their job is not easy, as the material sticks to the skin and clothing. One officila, Abdul Rajak, 49, was scrubbing his skin to get rid of the dirt.

Workers at the island’s Perawan Beach were also struggling to cleanse the beach right after the inflow of the oily waste.

“Beach cleaning must be done quickly, as this is closely linked to travelers’ comfort,” beach manager Salbi, 44, said. He added that he saw the biggest amount of waste on Thursday (29/11).

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Kepulauan Seribu Environment Agency workers move garbage onto a boat at Pari Island pier in Kepulauan Seribu regency, Jakarta, Friday (30/11/2018). The garbage will be taken to the Adem River dock, before being transported to the Bantar Gebang garbage dump in Bekasi, West Java.

At first glance, the beach at Pasir Perawan looked clean on Friday, but closer inspection revealed a layer of oil on the sand. The oil is thick and hard to get off once it gets onto the skin.

Tourist Deva Aliansyah Siregar, 20, said the oil on Pasir Perawan beach was an unpleasant sight. “If the oil gets on my skin when I swim in the water, I will be very disappointed,” he said.

From elsewhere

Waste mitigation on Pari and other islands in the Kepulauan Seribu regency must be cross-sectoral and cross-regional, as most of the waste is believed to originate from mainland Java.

Kepulauan Seribu Environmental Agency head Yusen Hardiman said the marine waste on Pari Island, including plastic, came from elsewhere.

Several places are suspected as the sources of waste on Pari Island. If the wind blows from the west, the waste may come from Banten province. On the other hand, if the wind blows from the east, the waste may come from West Java.

Sulaiman was convinced that the current wave of waste did not come from Jakarta, as the wind had not been blowing from the southeast. He urged all relevant parties to be serious in anticipating the problem Pari Island was now facing. “Huge amounts of trash wash up on Pari Island two to five times a year,” he said.

(JOG)