Climate Change Makes the Ocean No Longer the Same

The climate crisis is increasingly reducing the quality of life of fishermen. Hope is pinned on the next government.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Perubahan Iklim Membuat Laut Tak Lagi Sama

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

A row of fishing boats docked at the Nizam Zachman Ocean Fishery Port in North Jakarta on Sunday (10/12/2023).

The waning attention to maritime issues in the campaign promises of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election has raised concerns regarding the fate of fishermen in the country. The lives of fishermen who are in the poorest category of the poor are increasingly being squeezed by the climate crisis and sea conditions that are no longer the same.

General Chair of the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI) Dani Setiawan said that the issue of fishermen has not received more attention in the 2024 presidential election. The results of the study show that there has been no significant development to raise socio-economic levels and the welfare of small and traditional fishermen from the poorest category in Indonesia.

"Protection policies, affirmations and stronger budgets are needed for these food heroes so that they are confident in being fishermen and enthusiastic about cultivating fish which ultimately encourages national food independence and security," he said, in the Public Discussion "Fishermen's Hopes on 2024 Election: Socio-Economic Welfare, Protection of Tenurial Rights, Reduction of Climate Impacts and Fair Energy Access”, mid this week.

KNTI conducted a series of surveys during April-October 2023 regarding socio-economic conditions, perceptions of climate change, use of renewable energy, and protection of tenure rights. Respondents are KNTI members in more than 26 districts/cities in Indonesia.

Dani stated that the issue faced by the fishermen is not only about their welfare, but also the increasingly limited living space. A number of fishermen are facing uncertainty over their tenure rights to land and homes on the coast and in the marine environment, threats of eviction from the coast due to national strategic projects, as well as threats to fishing grounds from intruding foreign ships, large vessels, and users of destructive fishing gear. For instance, fishermen in Tarakan (North Kalimantan), who live above water, find it difficult to obtain land certificates.

Also read: Fishermen Increasingly Threatened

Meanwhile, the vulnerability of fishermen to the impact of climate change is increasingly apparent. They face very difficult situations due to extreme weather and high waves. The safety of fishermen is becoming more uncertain, while insurance protection and social security are inadequate. Female fishermen also bear the burden of the economy and the fulfillment of family food if their husbands cannot fish.

Ironically, various issues faced by fishermen are often responded to with policies that increasingly distance themselves from the spirit of making the ocean the future and the national development axis for the welfare of society.

"At the end of 2023, we were even shocked by the policy of legalizing the export of sea sand. This policy not only damages the marine environment and disrupts the livelihoods of fishermen but also benefits other countries that import and utilize sea sand from Indonesia," said Dani.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Fishing boats in the Madura Strait, Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday (17/1/2024).

Small and traditional fishermen also experience difficulties in obtaining subsidized fuels (BBM). As many as 82.8 percent of small fishermen respondents do not have access to subsidized BBM due to lack of infrastructure, facilities, and fishermen's administrative access. The allocation of subsidized solar BBM is 1.96 million kiloliters (kl), but only 516,000 kl of subsidized solar BBM can be absorbed.

Dani suggests that the government's commitment to making fishermen a priority sector in the future needs to be proven by strengthening the protection of fishermen, facilitating access to fishing and capital needs, as well as access to energy, including fuel subsidies and new and renewable energy technology adaptation.

Also read: Measuring the Maritime Axis in the 2024 Presidential Election

Fisherman's irony

The Manager of the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of KNTI, Miftahul Khausar, added that 97 percent of Indonesia's approximately 2 million fishermen fall into the category of small and traditional fishermen who have a fleet structure of small boats weighing a maximum of 10 gross tons, simple fishing gear, fishermen labor, small-scale fish processors, and small traders. The wealth of fisheries resources in Indonesia has not effectively improved the welfare of small and traditional fishermen.

"Poverty among fishermen still persists despite being close to fishery resources," said Miftahul.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Fishermen set off to catch fish in Lamalera A Village, Wulandoni District, Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday (22/11/2023). The Lamalera fishermen have a tradition of hunting whales, dolphins, and manta rays.

Iklan

According to data from the World Fisheries Organization, Indonesia is recorded as the second largest fish producer in 2020 with a contribution to global fisheries reaching 8 percent. The contribution of the fisheries sector to the gross domestic product in 2021 was recorded at 33 billion US dollars or 2.77 percent of the GDP.

However, in 2021, the poverty rate of coastal residents in Indonesia was recorded at 11.02 percent, which is higher than the non-coastal population of 8.67 percent. In 2022, the number of extremely poor fishermen is recorded at 8.8 percent of the total number of extremely poor people in Indonesia. Please note that there are no forbidden words in this article.

Also read: The Irony of Poverty in Coastal Areas Rich in Maritime Economic Potential

The KNTI survey results also show that small-scale fishermen are facing significant difficulties in meeting their basic needs. As many as 65 percent of the fishermen respondents do not have any other job besides fishing, making them vulnerable to climate and area changes. Meanwhile, environmental degradation and climate crisis are increasingly putting pressure on the living space of fishermen. As much as 83.3 percent of coastal fishermen in Tarakan (North Kalimantan) and Gresik (East Java) have experienced damage due to high waves, mining activities, and industry. Please Note: Do not translate the words "PKS" and "PPP" as they are forbidden words.

The condition of the sea has undergone a change. The situation and climate are already different.

Green Faith Coordinator Indonesia, Hening Parlan, has stated that the condition of the sea is continuously changing, resulting in a different sea for fishermen to face compared to the past. The increasing temperature of the sea has affected the ecosystem, including fish. Small fishermen must move further out to sea to catch fish, using only simple fishing tools.

KOMPAS/YOLA SASTRA

A female fisherman is fishing in the waters of a small island in Sinaka Hamlet, Sinaka Village, South Pagai Subdistrict, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra, on Friday (16/6/2023).

The changing sea conditions have made the catch and safety of fishermen increasingly unpredictable. Until 2020, the number of fishermen deaths in East Nusa Tenggara and Jakarta due to the climate crisis has reached 250 people.

"We are facing a sea that is not the same as before, the condition of the sea has changed. The situation and climate are different now. Through the old ways, we can no longer catch the same amount of fish. There must be a breakthrough from the government in terms of information about the condition of the sea, adoption of more effective technology, and improvement of fishermen's skills," he said.

Another approach is to encourage the community to join cooperatives. 91.7 percent of fishermen are unaware of government policies. Therefore, cooperatives serve as a means of connecting to the government structure.

State intervention

Executive Director of Lingkar Madani, Ray Rangkuti, stated that his organization did not see a strong connection between the candidates and the fisherman. The issue of the sea and fishermen tends to decrease in importance in the 2024 Elections, compared to the 2014 and 2019 contests. The issue of the sea, management, and improving the welfare of fishermen only become a general issue, with fishermen receiving inadequate attention.

"The issue of fishermen was not discussed, and the issue of the sea was also not heavily touched upon by the presidential and vice presidential candidates," said Ray.

Also read: The Ballad of Fishermen Grappling in Poverty

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

A fisherman's boat from Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra, sailed in the waters of the Malacca Strait on Wednesday (10/8/2022).

Economic observer Revrisond Baswir stated that the problem of fishermen's underdevelopment cannot be solved with market logic. In a market perspective, uncompetitive sectors will be left to die. Unproductive fishermen are encouraged to migrate to other more productive sectors. As a result, most of the migrating fishermen with only elementary school education tend to become laborers. Meanwhile, the abandoned fishing sector triggers new problems in terms of food sovereignty.

On the other hand, fishermen need to adapt and improve their economic status by joining cooperatives. This is to facilitate government intervention in improving the lives of fishermen through cooperatives.

"The issue of poverty among fishermen and the fisheries sector cannot be resolved solely through market mechanisms. The presence of the state collaborating with cooperatives in meeting the needs of fishermen must also incorporate the preservation of fishermen's way of life and the development of schools with curriculums relevant to their lives," he said.

Previously, during the Indonesia Marine and Fisheries Business Forum 2024 on February 5th, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, stated that the coastal population reached 104 million people. Therefore, he collaborated with the domestic ministry to develop a pilot project for the fishing industry, including a modern fishing village. Investors are encouraged to accept the production results from the modern fishing village.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

A fisherman passes through the lanting, or floating houses, in Kahayan River, Palangkaraya City, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (1/30/2024).

The Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency, Hadi Tjahjanto, stated that many Indonesians live along the coastline and depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Additionally, there is a great potential for fish cultivation. However, fishermen and coastal communities do not have legal certainty over their land. This synergy will be followed up with spatial planning and land regulation.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), Zainal Fatah, stated that PUPR provides basic infrastructure for fish ponds provided by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, as a precautionary measure to avoid flood hazards, as well as improving the settlements of fishermen along the coast of Indonesia.