Jongker Rumteh and Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post 16 May 09;
While scientists and delegates at the World Ocean Conference (WOC) and Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) discussed the key role of oceans and the threats they faced, traditional fishermen on the coast of Manado and neighboring Bunaken Island remain the victims of bad fishing practices.
These include overfishing and coral reef destruction.
"I only earn Rp 3 million *US$294* per month from tuna fishing. It was completely different 10 years ago, when I earned between Rp 7 million and Rp 10 million," said Edi Ticoalu, who lives on Kalasey Beach.
"I can't compete with bigger vessels that can sail out into deeper waters. I only have an old boat and can only fish in the waters off Manado Tua Island."
He blamed the massive constructions of shopping malls along the Gulf of Manado coastline for forcing traditional fishermen like himself to be sidelined from the area's development.
The situation, he added, had made traditional fishermen choose to sell their catch to tibo-tibo (middlemen) who were very quick to buy the fish, but paid very low prices.
"There were days when we could easily catch fish, but the price has dropped so low and is not enough to cover our operating costs," said Rusli, another fisherman at the beach.
To help traditional fishermen overcome the challenges, the North Sulawesi Mandiri Sejahtera Foundation provided assistance in selling fish and processing them.
Foundation official James Saerang said the foundation was a not-for-profit body.
"We only help them sell the fish so they can survive the hardship," he said.
He added the foundation was working together with the fishermen to build a rumpon (giant fish tank) to help them breed fish.
During the WOC, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his opening speech that overfishing, over-exploitation, the extinction of marine species, pollution, rising sea levels, warming sea temperatures, coral reef destruction and climate change were the biggest threats facing the oceans.
"Without the oceans as a source of protein and other nutrients, half the human race would go hungry and starve," he said.
"Without the food security that the oceans make possible, we cannot effectively fight poverty and reach the Millennium Development Goals."
On Bunaken Island - famous for its pristine coral reefs and fish that attract domestic and foreign divers - fishermen have been forbidden from using destructive fishing methods in the protected waters, or from catching decorative fish.
"We are only allowed to catch fish that we consume, and only through traditional fishing methods," said Iwan Kaempe, who operates a glass-bottomed boat for tourists to see the underwater beauty of the Bunaken waters.
Onil Lahengking, an official at the Bunaken Marine National Park, said the park management had set up zones with clear borders for three main activities. He said the fishermen could fish in the utilization areas, marked out as green on the conservation map.
The nurturing areas, marked red on the map, are meant to be kept clear of any activities, except for cleaning, because they contain protected coral reefs that play an important role in the ecosystem.
"The blue part on the map is for diving and snorkeling," Onil said, pointing to the splashes of blue dotting the map of the waters around the island.
Heidi Malingkas, head of the development and review division at the North Sulawesi Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, said she hoped financial institutions could provide the fishermen with loans to help empower them.
"The fishermen's boats should be equipped with machines so they can reach deeper waters. But it will be very slow if the fishermen have to wait for government help, due to *the government's* budget limitation," she said, adding some banks already offered support programs for the fishermen.
Heidi also said some 70 percent of around 20,000 fishing boats in the province still used "simple equipment". She said the province was planning to hand over three motorboats to selected groups of fishermen.
