The gradual death of the Archipelago
On
April 18, 1997 a Japanese fishing fleet leader, carrying
a Filipino passport checked into a Manado Home stay to lodge
three
Filipino
fisherman. After checking them in he was overheard instructing
the fisherman "change your clothes so we can transfer the
water bombs". The tourist informed the Home stay owner,
who in turn informed an immigration Justice Department official.,
who immediately took steps to investigate the case. Five
days later two of the fishermen were finally apprehended
and interrogated.
The ensuing investigation led to the Harbor city of Bitung,
N.E. Sulawesi, in which at least 120 illegal fisherman were
arrested
and deported (most Filipinos and some Taiwanese). Others
were kept for further investigation of illegal fishing
practices in Indonesian
waters. The investigation is continuing as only the tip of the
iceberg in the raping of Indonesian waterways, coral reefs, and
fish life continues. At the same time, a Japanese
fishing fleet of four trawlers were outside the Harbor of
Manado awaiting
final clearance to go fishing. They had formed a joint-venture
partnership with an Indonesian so that they could fly the
Indonesian flag. They would be legal and free to roam parts
of the Indonesian
Archipelago. The sponsor, in fact, would only share a portion
of the profits without even once going to sea! The Japanese
fleet, is nothing like the local Indonesian fishing fleets,
which are
large wooden boats with draw lights and two way radios, this
fleet of steel, loaded from top to bottom with sophisticated
satellite tracking devices and all other advance technology
needed, means "real" business! The advantage of
this fleet is that it can track schools of fish quickly,
haul the
fish and
load them onto partner ships, and transfer the load out of
Indonesian waters undetected. At the same time, they can
keep a track on
any Navy or Coast Guard boat to avoid any possible detection.
A problem sometimes neutralized by the easily obtained Indonesian
flag they are flying. This may seem farfetched but in fact
it was verified by a Filipino ship owner. He admitted he takes
five to ten times the allotted quota or officially registered
fish haul thus raping the seas further.
 |
| Trawl
Fishing, not only destroys natural growth on the ocean
floor, but also takes all those forms of fish that
live there, as these Sting Rays |
|
Meanwhile over 80%
of Indonesian fish fleets using traditional methods of fishing
sometimes spend many days catching a meager load compared to
the Japanese fleet and all others, whose overexploitation contribute
to the locals meager catches. In fact almost all traditional
Indonesian fishing boats are registered at the fisheries department
and are expected to register their catches. Further more,
according to some fishermen and authorities, many foreign fleets
primarily of Taiwanese, Filipino, Hong Kong and South Korean
origins, using high tech satellite radar tracking systems, enter
Indonesian waters flying either no flag to avoid identification,
or their own flag without fear of detection. These fishing boats
don't have the correct licensees or documentation to fish within
Indonesian waters however due to superior technology and other
factors they go officially undetected! Meanwhile in April
97, a couple hundred kilometers south east, in the Gorontalo
area, an uninvited European photographer stumbles upon a massive construction
of holding pens, full of the CITIES protected Napoleon Wrasses,
turtles, other large migrating sea mammals, and large coral fish.
These reminded him of the simpler version of holding pens he
discovered around the Tukanbesi Islands, Togian Islands, and
Banggai Islands, however these were different. Different due
to the fact that they were built as fixed structures. They had
walkways along the pens leading to an office and connecting rooms.
Outside the main office a large satellite communication dish
stood, inside high tech communication systems with two way radio
and satellite telephones, not to mention the openly
 |
 |
Cyanide
Poisoned fish are being sold all over Indonesia's fish
markets, this one in Pangandaran, Java. The only eye
left popping out of its socket, one of the effects
of Cyanide |
exposed cyanide
poison bottles with the accompanying equipment plus water
bombs (explosive preparations). The photographer acting naive
to the operation allowed the Chinese operator (believed to be
a Taiwanese or Hong Kong Chinese who spoke poor Indonesian) to
give him a tour of the illegal operation he was running. The
photographer was told of the Hong Kong boat that arrived about
once a week, normally undetected or unobstructed in and out of
Indonesian waters to pick up the tons of protected and unprotected
species caught by various such operations. Eventually the operator
granted the reporter a lift par speedboat to his desired destination,
an eastward remote village. Leaving the scene the photographer
was left to wonder how many of these permanently fixed operations
actually exist in Indonesia functioning 'officially' unregistered,
unmonitored, and practically uninterrupted as they systematically
destroy and rape the reefs and sea life of Indonesia. How
much time will it take? At another location, 200 KM south
of Gorontalo, a group of tourists were diving the partially beautiful
reefs off the Togian Islands. After ascending from the dive they
asked the dive instructor about the booming sounds they heard.
He replied, "dynamite fishing" you can hear
those explosions everyday. This is normal
|
 |
| |
The most elegant glider in the seas, the Spotted Eagle
Rays are not spared after being caught in illegal coastal
Trap Nets |
around these parts,
to add to all the holding pens and turtle traps around the Togian
Islands. The locals are supplied the bombs and cyanide (usually
of Chinese Production) by mostly Chinese descendants as well as
from the Asian foreign operators who pick up the living and dead
catches. The tourist asked" how about the law?" The reply, "The
law gets paid more to turn a blind eye, that's more than their
salaries pay! They in fact are just bystanders! To stop this would
require lots of power, stronger policies supported with stiff penalties
to those who pillage and profit from these illegal actions.It was
generally agreed that the relative value of energy and costs spent
on preventing and vigorously pursuing and prosecuting offenders
of such lawbreaking would easily pay for itself in stiff fines
and penalties at the current rate or state of lawbreaking. Even
further, a portion of the money gained from
 |
|
| Trawl Fishing and Dynamite fishing on Coral Reefs, has
destroyed at-least 60% of Indonesia's Coral Reefs and life
forms. Here a group of various fish with a pile of 10 juvenile
Spotted Rays are victims |
|
fines and penalties could
to go back into the local communities to support people and programs
to discourage and prevent further destruction plus enforce conservation
efforts through positive reinforcement. It would be up to the
government of Jakarta to make these sweeping reforms and vigorously
enforce the laws. Two weeks earlier some tourists while seeking
new dive/snorkel sites along the Tangkoko Reserve to the Lembeh
Strait, accidentally discovered huge structures of draw and trap
nets. These nets extending to the sea floor blocking and trapping
anything swimming along the coast (more details in Section
on Illegal Fishing Practices). What appeared to be strategically
placed nets along the migrating zones and paths of sea mammals,
large pelagic fish , to include manta rays and whale sharks. It
was found the operation existed since March 96 and had taken, and
slaughtered thousands of mammals and large fish, plus an estimated
millions of smaller pelagic fish. It was also discovered that the
company was a joint venture involving Taiwanese partners and influential
passive Indonesia shareholders. This company was operating up and
above the law with very doctored and questionable licenses obtained
by the influential passive partners in Jakarta and despite their
huge hauls and all the pillage
|
 |
| |
The normal mature size of the Blue Spotted Ray, its
family following also taken. A fish not normally on the
human Menu, however not protected from pillage |
inflicted the company
still reported losses. To date, they have yet to be held accountable
for the damages committed to the ecosystem and the local population.
More of these nets are known to exists in other parts of Indonesia,
thus also raping the coastal migrating mammals and fish. What will
happen when there exits such "walls of death" all along
the whole coastline? Currently there exist hundreds of stationary
coastal fringe Draw Nets along the coastal capital city of Unjung
Pandang which in there mere existence already contradict national
and international laws, not to mention the damage inflicted to
Nature! How long will the damage continue before it becomes beyond
recovery?? To Conclude All these various forms of fishing
are illegal in most countries including Indonesia in accordance
to UN Charter of Fishing and Environmental Protection rules and
international laws and agreements. The reef bombing and cyanide
destruction are obvious forms of destruction and violations of
laws that require the use of solid detectable materials. Because
such materials are easier to detect, these forms of destruction
should be easiest to control and effectively eradicated through better
control of the production and distribution of the deadly materials.
Thus accountability of producers and suppliers is essential to
reduce and stop such forms of illegal fishing. Extremely high
penalties should be levied against those who violate such laws
especially the supplier and the of-course the user. The legality
of the easily detectable and visible holding pens, stationary coastal
draw and trap nets normally is a matter of the local authorities
interpretation of national laws that normally deem these operations
illegal when investigated. Often the flip side is true in which
permits are granted by uninformed and corrupt national government
officials contradicting local authorities of the area targeted.
Regardless of who is guilty of illegal actions, everyone must be
held responsible and accountable for their actions
 |
|
| The total pillage of the Oceans includes most clams,
particularly the Giant Clams. Here are some weighing up
to 40 Kg, along with bags of Nautilus's. The dealers trade
unhindered by officials despite protection laws |
|
and heavy penalties must
be levied to stop these otherwise illegal forms of fishing from
continuing to destroy the life source of the coastal layman. Without
doubt, the Hugh Draw and Trap Nets mentioned earlier should
be outright internationally banned . Coastal trapping of any kind
must be outlawed to sustain fish stocks, coral reef life, and to
protect for a healthy coral marine life ecosystem. One can clearly
read from the data of this six week experience(only around parts
of Sulawesi ), that at the current rate and combined methods
of destruction the Indonesian Archipelago are numbered! Further, Some
open-sea trawlers and fishing boats that are over fishing their
quotas using Indonesian flags permits through joint venture fronts,
must be better monitored to outright controlled by Indonesian authorities,
who should be on board and also be held accountable for monitoring
the catch -- a small cost to prevent over fishing. Also the number
of so-called fishing joint ventures should be reduced, limited,
to outright banned in a country in which 60% of its total population
living along coastlines and waterways depend on fishing and fish
consumption and products as their primary means of survival . Commercial
fishing could in fact be exclusively done by Indonesia's own fishing
fleets, without foreign exploitation. High tech satellite fishing
could be regulated as mentioned earlier or totally banned to allow
fairness to the local Traditional Indonesian fishing fleets. During
1998 new commercial fishing contracts were granted by certain Indonesian
officials to various countries and companies, the most notable
countries being Thailand and Japan. In the first example, the loosely
and irresponsibly graphed contracts will allow Thailand to continue
to fish, however in Indonesian waters as they have already
over fished their own waters and they continue to do so. This is
easily evidenced by looking toward the horizon of the sea line
anytime anywhere in Thailand at darkness. One can expect to see
lights not darkness any given night except very stormy nights.
This Over fishing and exploitation of the waterways has brought
no wisdom rather greed and now Indonesian waters have been targeted. In
the case of Japan, one of Indonesians major trading partners and
lenders, in its obsession of controlling the rights to access and
market certain nationally desired Species of Fish (which includes
many), most notably the Blue Fin Tuna. The 1998 agreement effectively
allows the Japanese to proceed to fish in the Indonesian Archipelago
for the Blue Fin population. The damage their fleets will inflict
to the Juvenile Blue Fin as all other populations of fish which
begin their seasonal migration and life chain in the SE Asian Archipelago
will be devastating. By catch and otherwise economically unfeasible
fish not in line to the high Japanese standards are simply killed
and discarded or used as bate, this is estimated to be more than
60% of total catch if not more, when considering the unique diversity
and abundance of fish life found in this Archipelago. Such contracts
which affect the survival of species and the sustainability of
life forms that are important to Humans and many life forms should
require more than some greed stricken opportunists and ignorant
and often corrupt officials. Such agreements and irresponsible
deals prove the need of an International Commission, to
include responsible environmentalists to oversee and prevent such
deals. International aid and cooperation is needed to help curb
illegal fishing and regulate High tech fishing to stop exploitation
of natural resources. Due to the uniqueness and complexity of these
issues, and the vastness and diversities of Indonesia and the Archipelago,
an extensive amount of energy and time by all players is needed
to control such violations. Please help us to make aware to
the government of Indonesia that we care for and love her country,
people, and archipelago so much that we genuinely would like to
help stop the pillage and exploitation of their hospitality and
natural resources. We request they allow foreign countries and
caring environmental agencies to assist them with aid and services
to stop these gross environmental violations from continuing once
and forever. The consequences of these violations can and do have
long lasting detrimental effects on Indonesia and eventually
the whole world. We all must eventually offer our support to level,
extinguish, and alleviate these injustices to guarantee the once
magnificent archipelago and the surrounding population a healthy
and promising future!
