Waiting for the Government Consistency

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

A small crab fishing boat moored at the Karangsong estuary, Indramayu Regency, West Java, Monday (26/10/2020). For more than a month small fishermen have not gone to sea because of the lack of catch.

Lack of government support and protection, as well as lack of capital are the biggest challenges in the effort to improve fishermen\'s welfare. This conclusion was recorded from the results of Kompas polling in the third week of October.

As many as 63.6 percent of respondents said small and medium fishermen (owners of boats or fishing boats weighing less than 10 gross ton) felt they had poor welfare. Only 21 percent of respondents felt the fishermen\'s welfare had improved.

With regard to the poor welfare of fishermen in the country, more than half of the respondents said that the two main problems facing fishermen was a lack of capital and lack of protection from the government. According to 54.3 percent of respondents, the protection of fishermen at sea is even worse. Another problem the fishermen face is a lack of training or education.

Also read: Fishermen Need Alignment

Moreover, nearly three quarters of respondents said there were three things that were most urgent for the government to do to make fishermen prosperous. The three things are the dissemination of fisheries cultivation science, provision of savings and loan funds to support fishermen\'s businesses and rejuvenation of supporting facilities for fishermen.

Efforts to encourage fishermen\'s welfare are not yet optimal because of policies that are less pro-fishermen. In the second period of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo\'s administration, there are differences in at least seven issues related to fishermen and fisheries when compared to the previous administration period. The issues are related to illegal fishing, the minimum limit for new fishing businesses, levies on products for capture fisheries, catches of baby lobsters, restrictions on vessels of live fishes, the reclamation of Benoa Bay and fishing gear for live fishes.

Also read: Double Plight of Small Fishermen

Policies on four of the seven issues have officially changed. Changes to three other issues are being prepared. From the policy changes on the four issues (illegal fishing in Indonesia, the minimum limit for new fishing businesses, baby lobster fishing, and prohibited fishing gear), it appears that the government policies have changed.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Sand lobster sold at retail at Kendari Market, Southeast Sulawesi, Tuesday (25/8/2020). The price of all lobster has fallen dramatically. Apart from the Covid-19 pandemic, the price of lobster has also dropped due to the large-scale export of fry.

For example, the government policy related to baby lobster fishing. Previously, according to Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Regulation No. 56 of 2016, the government prohibited the capture of baby lobsters. Lobsters to be caught must also weigh over 200 grams or a carapace of over 8 centimeters long. In addition, there was a prohibition on selling the baby lobsters for cultivation.

This prohibition was then removed during the second term of Jokowi\'s administration through Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Regulation No. 12/2020.

Also read: Just be a Minister, not a Fisherman

Changes have also occurred in policies regarding the permitted fishing gears. Previously, dozens of trawling equipment, cantrang (seine nets), dogol, payang, and other seine fishing gears were banned in Indonesia in accordance with Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Regulation No.2/ 2015 and Regulation No. 71/2016.

However, with the Instruction of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister No. B.717/MEN-KP/XI/ 2019, there are eight fishing gears that have been removed from the ban. The eight devices are small pelagic ring trawlers with two vessels, large pelagic ring trawlers with two vessels, payang, cantrang, bottom shrimp trawlers, fishing rods, mechanical squid jigging, and mechanic huhate system.

Also read: Fishermen Await Commitment Realization

The head of the Center for the Study of Maritime Development and Maritime Civilization, Suhana, said the legalization of the fishing gear, which were previously banned, did not take side with small fishermen. This is because the fishing gear tended to be used only by large vessels owned by corporations (Kompas, 3/11/2020).

Finally, without partiality from the government, small fishermen in Indonesia will continue to be marginalized.

(KOMPAS R&D)