Fidelis E Satriastanti, Jakarta Globe 28 Jan 10;
Activists on Thursday blasted the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for wasting money on a luxurious French sailing ship to monitor the condition of coral reefs in the country.
The Rp 14.3 billion ($1.53 million), 15.5-meter catamaran was purchased from a Bordeaux-based company using funds designated for use elsewhere in the state budget, they said.
“The ship was bought using money allocated by the House of Representatives under the 2008-2009 state budget to repair six patrol boats belonging to the ministry, not to buy cruise ships,” said Riza Damanik, the coordinator for the Fisheries Justice Coalition (Kiara).
Riza said the monitoring of coral reefs could be performed with much cheaper craft.
“In North Sulawesi, in Bunaken [national marine park], they use traditional boats costing 20 million to 30 million rupiah and they are very effective because they are small boats and move very slowly so they won’t destroy the coral reefs,” Riza said.
“This ship is obviously unnecessary because it’s too big and moves very fast and it looks more like a cruise ship than a ship for monitoring coral reefs.”
Furthermore, Riza suggested a case for corruption because state funds had been spent on the boat even though the purchase had not been budgeted.
However, Aji Soelarso, director general for monitoring and surveillance of marine and fisheries resources, argued that the money for the boat had been allocated in the 2008-09 state budget.
“Bearing in mind that Indonesia is a member of the Coral Triangle Initiative, we needed to buy the ship to monitor the condition of our coral reefs. We must set the lead and be an example to other countries, showing we are serious in maintaining our coral reefs,” Aji said. He was referring to the preservation program launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2007 that now also encompassing Malaysia, Phillipines, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Aji said the ship would also act as a prototype for the country to produce its own reef-monitoring fleet.
“If this ship is being compared to the pinisi [a traditional wooden sailing ship], then you could say that it’s expensive, but it’s lot cheaper than a cruise ship,” Aji said.
He added that the vessel was very fuel efficient and could operate much longer than a standard craft. “The biggest cost associated with monitoring is usually fuel. If we used a regular speed boat, it might cost Rp 40 million to Rp 50 million per day for patrols, while this ship does not depend on fuel but rather wind, so it only costs Rp 1 million per day, including the crew’s accommodation.”
Aji also pointed out that maintenance costs would be minimal as the crew would handle most of the work at its home port, thus a special facility would not be required. The ship will be based in Manado, home to the secretariat office of the Coral Triangle Initiative.
Legislators to Drop Anchor on Ministry For Buying Reef-Monitoring Sailboat
Fidelis E Satriastanti, Jakarta Globe 29 Jan 10;
Lawmakers have added their voices to the growing wave of criticism directed against the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries over its extravagant purchase of a Rp 14.3 billion ($1.53 million) catamaran sailboat from France.
Sudin, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and member of the House of Representatives Commission IV, overseeing maritime affairs and fisheries, said the matter would be raised during a scheduled meeting with the ministry on Monday.
“We will want explanations regarding this issue because buying a new boat at that price just to monitor coral reefs is too much,” Sudin said.
“We don’t need that kind of boat to do the job.”
The Fisheries Justice Coalition (Kiara), a nongovernmental organization, has blasted the ministry for the purchase of the 15.5-meter-long multihulled sailboat, saying the money used was allocated in the 2008-09 state budget for the repair of six of the ministry’s patrol ships.
Earlier, Aji Soelarso, the ministry’s director for monitoring and surveillance of marine and fisheries resources, said that though the initial cost was high, the wind-powered vessel would bring huge savings on fuel and could be used as a model to build similar ships.
“We are not able to produce this type of sailing ship on our own, so it will also function as a prototype for us in order to make the same type in the future,” Aji said.
But Riza Damanik, coordinator Kiara, insisted that the price of the new ship was far too expensive and the that the money had not been allocated in the budget.
“To protect and save our coral reefs, we don’t need that kind of ship, but we need to stop throwing waste into our seas and oceans, stop using trawls [in shallow seas], and offer more environmental education for people in marine and coastal areas,” he said.
He added that similar sailboats were listed on Web sites at a price of around $900,000.
Minister Defends Catamaran Purchase
Jakarta Globe 1 Feb 10;
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad said on Monday that his ministry was ready to face any legal challenges over its controversial purchase of a French catamaran to monitor the country’s coral reefs.
“I have met with the BPK [Supreme Audit Agency] this morning and stated that we will welcome them if they want to check our budget. If there are any inconsistencies whatsoever, then we are willing to settle this through legal means,” Fadel told House of Representatives Commission IV, which oversees maritime and fisheries affairs.
Fadel did, however, acknowledge that the ship was expensive compared to other vessels used for the purpose of monitoring coral reefs.
The ministry’s purchase has been roundly criticized by environmental groups and lawmakers because of the Rp 14.3 billion ($1.5 million) price tag for the French-built 15.5-meter catamaran.
One group, the Fisheries Justice Coalition (Kiara), said it suspected budget inconsistencies in the purchase because the money used to buy the vessel was designated to repair six patrol ships belonging to the ministry.
There was no immediate response to Fadel’s statement by House commission members because the meeting was adjourned until next week.
“We have decided to postpone any questions or remarks on the issue because there was not enough time to discuss it in one day,” Ahmad Muqowam, the commission chairman, said following the one-hour meeting.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has insisted that the ship is essential for Indonesia to set the lead for other members of the Coral Triangle Initiative, the preservation program initiated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2007.
It also claimed that the wind-powered vessel would be worth the expense because of the savings in fuel costs.
