Fishers call for strong action to prevent bycatching

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Fri, 06/18/2010 10:29 AM

Fishers from local communities and private companies in the Coral Triangle region have called for a stronger partnership and collaborative measures to prevent the unintended capture of animals in commercial fishing gear.

A three-day forum, which closed here Thursday, discussed ways to prevent the phenomenon, which in the industry is known as “bycatching”. The forum heard that millions of marine animals were inadvertently killed every year by the fisheries industry in the Coral Triangle.

Bycatching is a major cause of death of endangered species, such as turtles, sharks, marine mammals, as well as thousands of tons of fish species that are not eaten that get entangled in fishing gear each year, the forum heard.

“Such ineffective fishing practices are undoubtedly depleting our highly valuable marine species on which millions of people depend for food and income,” said Keith Symington, bycatch strategy leader of the coral triangle program at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

“This forum has created a collaborative platform for fishers to start working closely together to solve bycatching and secure a more sustainable and equitable future for the fishing industry in this region,” he said.

The forum was jointly held by the WWF, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).

Some 100 participants at the forum collectively agreed on a set of recommendations, including mainstreaming bycatching regulations in regional legislation and implementing them into national policies, as well as providing incentives to fishermen to turn to more environmentally friendly catching methods.

Other recommendations included conducting more research and studies to inform decisions on policy.

The forum also agreed to establish partnerships with academic institutions and fisheries schools to raise awareness about bycatching among new fishermen.

“It is urgent for fishers in this region to transform their practices into more eco-friendly ones and cooperate with key players across the entire supply-chain to ensure the health of ocean resources and the future of their business as well,” Symington said.

Narmoko Prasmadji, the ministry’s representative and the executive secretary of the national coordination committee of Coral Triangle Initiative Indonesia, said the ministry would support a plan of action arrived at during the meeting in line with its own policy of reducing bycatching.

“The bycatching issue should be included in the mainstream of the national fisheries policy and should be well implemented and legally enforced,” he said.

The SEAFDEC noted that many fishing operations were guilty of bycatching, with many simply throwing unwanted dead catches back into the sea.

Some shrimp trawling operations can discard up to 90 percent of their catches, while some fishing

operations kill seabirds, turtles and dolphins, sometimes in large numbers.

The Ministry’s Center for Analysis and International Cooperation estimated that 15 percent of every 5-ton catch was bycatch, while the FAO estimated commercial fishing wasted at least 27 tons of marine resources every year due to indiscriminate fishing.

Since 2006, WWF Indonesia and the ministry have initiated a bycatch mitigation program that requires the use of circle hooks for long-line tuna fishing in harbors in Benoa in Bali and Bitung in North Sulawesi.

Raja Ampat West Papua’s pristine water

J. Adiguna, The Jakarta Post, Raja Ampat, west Papua | Sun, 05/23/2010 11:08 AM

Colorful fish swim around coral reef in the Mansuar water.: JP/J. Adiguna

The clear blue water seemed flawless as I sat on the deck of the ferry.

As we saw shadows of green hills amid the abundant fresh blue water covering the horizon, mama Albertina Thesia and her company of singers began to sing a traditional Papua song — a song of joy to see the big island, Waigeo.

“We are glad to be home”, she said, glowing sparks showed in her eyes. Stephen Hindom, her partner, tapped a tranquilizing rhythm of Tifa, a traditional Papuan percussion.

Together with a group of family and singers, they are about to join their relative in Wasai, the capital of Raja Ampat regency, celebrating the seventh anniversary of Raja Ampat as an autonomous regency. “We’ll be performing at the opening ceremony tomorrow,” she said proudly.

While the fascination remained, suddenly groups of small boats, decorated with palm leaves, popped out from a near cove, moving closer to our ferry. They were welcoming us.

A woman from Salawati Island takes the starch from a sago palm for a celebration.: JP/J. Adiguna

Young brown-skinned and curly haired people with happy faces waved their hands cheerfully. They shouted the local greeting. Their eyes gazed at the ferry, looking for familiar faces.

Another cheerful rhythm of Tifa and Tambur, big traditional Papuan drums, echoed through the small islands in front of us. At the end of a wooden pier on the beach, stood a big brown bearded old man, wearing a traditional costume. He danced, stamped leaves in his hand while his legs moved to the the music. He was accompanied by groups of women young and old, wearing traditional cloth.

Welcome to Raja Ampat, heart of the Golden Triangle of the world!

Legend has it that the area was founded by four kings who were grown from eggs laid by a megapode bird. Later, the four kings settled in four large islands, which make up Raja Ampat regency: Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta and Misool.

Raja Ampat means four kings in Indonesian and its legend spreads beyond the indigenous people. The international community acknowledge Raja Ampat as the greatest repository of tropical marine life on earth. With its richness in marine life diversity, it’s known as the world’s “capital of coral and fish”.

More than 600 small islands with various shapes located in the north, west and south of Papua’s bird’s head peninsula gives Raja Ampat a geographical shelter from ocean waves.

Countless species of wildlife, including birds, fish and coral are found in this area which scientists are still studying its geographical advantage on nearby coral reefs including the Philippines, eastern Indonesia and the territory eastward to the Solomon Island.

In 1993, the Indonesian government declared Raja Ampat as a marine protected area (MPA) in the effort to protect this rich area that covers more than 60,000 square kilometers. A decade later, Raja Ampat became an autonomous regency under the province of West Papua. It makes it easier for the government and other organizations to implement the conservation and rehabilitation programs.

With more than 40,000 people living separately on 35 islands (mainly on the four big islands), reaching Raja Ampat is a challenge. A remote island surrounded by fresh blue water with a few harbors make a small boat and kayak ideal transportation for its people. Wasai, the capital of Raja Ampat, can be reached with a ferry from Sorong, the capital of West Papua province.

The area nearby Kabui offers breathtaking scenery.: JP/J.Adiguna

Entering Wasai from the harbor, you will find clear evidence of how the government has tried to improve and provide proper infrastructure in this remote place. There are small shacks and houses, but at least they have roads, a small health clinic, a government center, communication facilities and a market.

Cozy accommodation is easy to find as there are a few cottages which offer varied services from Rp 100,000 (US$10) to Rp 400.000 per night. Mostly, these are located near Wasai Beach. As an alternative, many houses are modified into homestays where you can experience the warmth and kindness of the people.

Local authorities have developed training for the people to prepare their home as homestays for. As long as you don’t mind bathing outside and sharing your private space with others, there is no problem. If anything, it provided more value and memories to our adventurous journey.

As for the food, you need not worry as long as you can eat seafood. The unique Papuan cooking style has an unforgettable delicious taste. If you have a chance, you should try “sagu bia”. It is made from sago cooked with a local clam called bia.

It is mixed with local herbs and salt and pepper, and is placed in a banana leaf and left roasted on hot stone. The spicy and gummy taste from the sago, mixed with the strong taste of the clam is worth a try. Locals say it can increase the libido.

For diving enthusiasts, there are some resorts to visit and dozens of cruises that offer services. The price varies between ¤5,000 (US$6,200) per person for a 10-day dive package to Rp 25,000,000 ($2,700) for five people for a three-day dive package.

You’ll be promised wonderful sights and marine life such as the spotted wobbegong, fimbriated moray, goliath grouper, manta ray and the sperm whale, reported to have been seen swimming around the water of Ayau Island, north of Waigeo.

Tourists enjoy the calm water in the Kabui Bay.: JP/J.Adiguna

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit small islands nearby with kayaks or small boats, especially in Kabui Bay or the small cove surrounding Gam area. You can learn moer about the legend of how King Waikew of Waigeo Island found seven eggs laid by a megapode bird. Four hatched and turned into four handsome princes who later ruled the four big islands. Another egg hatched and became a woman who was washed away and stranded in Biak, Papua. Another hatched and became a ghost

that protected the sea and the last one didn’t hatch and turned into a big stone

in Mayalibit bay.

As we float through the narrow strait between the mangrove jungle in a hidden bay, we feel the water become warmer. Sometimes we spot big brown-headed eagles fly above us.

We can also see red coral or big sea anemones, which grow only 2 meters below the clear water which is filled with orange ocellaris clownfish. Just beware of crocodiles when you do it. They are known to inhabit the mangroves.

Most people in Raja Ampat live as fishermen. They developed the tradition, which follows the harmony of nature. Indigenous people called themselves the Maya tribe. Years of influence from nearby islands mean the people of Raja Ampat have mixed ancestry with Maya and Biak as the majority.

There are many Melanisas as well as a few people life in southern Raja Ampat around Misool, descended from inter-island traders from Maluku and Sulawesi.

Uniquely they together adopt the same fishing technique called bacigi bwhich is fishing using string with no bait at the hook. Another technique ia called molo which is free diving, armed with a traditional spear gun called kalawai. The fishermen usually dive for 10-15 minutes in the water.

The declaration of Raja Ampat as a protected area recognizes the tradition of Raja Ampat people who had been preserving the marine biodiversity.

The help from natural conservation organizations such as Conservation International, The Natural Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and many others, together with the Indonesian and local government, are needed to preserve the environment.

There are many challenges to overcome. Great reserves of nickel and ore located in Waigeo, illegal fishing, the increasing po-pulation and the construction of modern infrastructure threaten the environment.

— Photos by J. Adiguna

Whale population in Indonesia decreases

English.news.cn 2010-05-03 13:24:26

JAKARTA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Whale population in the waters of Indonesia's Lamalera has been decreasing in the last three years, supposedly caused by the mammal's movement, Kompas daily quoted residents as saying on Monday.

Traditional fishermen in Lamalera of East Nusa Tenggara province's Lembata regency, said that the decrease resulted in declining whale capture.

According to Martinus Hulu, a tribeman of Lelaona in Lamalera, whales captured in 2007 were about 30, decreasing to 20s in 2008 and two in 2009.

"So far this year we only had captured two in March," said Martinus on Sunday.

Katarina Beto Key, another resident of Lamalera, said the decreasing capture was a concern as people rely on the whale capture to support their economic needs.

People usually capture spermwhale or Physeter macrocephalus.

The Representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Lembata regency, Februanti, said that she was not sure about the cause.

"We need a deeper analysis. However, it might be caused by natural factor or whale movement," she said.

Obama To Bring Climate Change Agenda To Indonesia

Antara News, Friday, March 26, 2010 04:14 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - US President Barack Obama who has delayed until next June his planned visit to Indonesia will bring three agenda items on climate change, a WWF official said.

"There are three agenda items, namely forest and peat land management, clean technology and climate change, and coral triangle," WWF-Indonesia Program Director for climate and energy affairs, Fitrian Ardiansyah said here on Thursday.

Fitrian said that for the forest and peat land management, the United States would see how far Indonesia could cut its gas emissions and the chance for cooperation.

"There is a tropical forest conversion program where a fund would be made available for the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) scheme," she said.

If Indonesia is able to formulate it, there would be a clean technology such as renewable energy technology and energy conservation, she said.

Regarding the coral triangle, the United States will continue its scientific research and coral reef protection programs.

"We hope with the visit of Obama there would be comprehensive bilateral cooperation, but all this would depend on the ability of Indonesia to make use of this opportunity, provide a clear proposal and show its priorities to the United States," Fitrian said.

Beyond the Coral Triangle Summit

The Jakarta Post, James P. Leape and Arthur C. Yap, Switzerland/Manila | Thu, 01/21/2010 9:34 AM | Opinion

This week’s Coral Triangle Business Summit see leaders from seafood, marketing, tourism, and travel industries engaging with representatives of the finance sector and government policy makers to forge new partnerships in the planet’s most important marine environment.

The summit comes at a time when there has never been more at stake for coastal communities and environments in the Coral Triangle – a region covering the marine areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. It focuses on sustainable growth and bring together business leaders and policy makers from across the region.

The Coral Triangle contains 75 percent of the world’s known coral species, one third of the world’s coral reef area and more than 3,000 species of fish, and its abundant marine life supports the livelihoods of more than 150 million people.

But the Coral Triangle is under threat. Under the current climate change path, and with the current rate of over-exploitation of marine resources, there will be 50 percent less protein available from the sea by 2050, and 80 percent less by the end of the century.

This represents a major food security threat for coastal communities in the Coral Triangle, to say nothing of the economic fallout on the millions of businesses that once relied on healthy marine environments across the region.

This looming threat to the region’s ongoing food security and economic prosperity inspired a historic demonstration of political will by leaders of all six Coral Triangle nations at the World Ocean Conference in Manado in May last year.

They stood together and committed to a plan of action to save the region’s marine environments by increasing protection for its natural wonders and reducing pressures on its marine environments.

The resulting Manado Ocean Declaration stressed the need for national strategies for sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems, in particular those with significant potential for addressing the adverse effects of climate change such as mangroves, coral reefs and other natural features that buffer communities from extreme weather events. As impressive and unprecedented as this declaration was, it can only bear fruit if it is matched with a similar level of commitment from the private sector.

Seafood businesses and fishing operators, tourism companies, airlines, oil and gas companies all exploit the Coral Triangle’s abundant marine resources for their businesses. With rapidly expanding populations, economic growth and the pressures of international trade, these businesses are competing more and more for fewer resources.

Cooperation for the sake of sustainable growth therefore makes more business sense now than ever before.

There are growing legislative, social and market pressures on the corporate world to take greater responsibility for environmental performances, at all stages of the supply chain from the sourcing of raw product to final retail.

Responses to these growing pressures have seen the rapid adoption of global environmental standards and management practices, including in the Asia Pacific region.

Many of the world’s biggest corporations are based in the countries with the most stringent requirements, and businesses in Asia and the Pacific will be increasingly obliged to comply with the demands of these multi-national corporations. Recently US seafood company Anova Food and global seafood supplier Culimer BV have expressed their plans to source tuna caught with circle hooks, which reduce the unwanted bycatch of sea turtles by up to 90 percent.

In 2006, the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, pledged that within three to five years it would source all fresh and frozen wild caught seafood from MSC-certified fisheries. Walmart has 1.6 million employees, over 6,000 stores and roughly 60,000 suppliers worldwide. As one of the largest sellers of seafood in the US, and by accessing 57 percent of seafood imports originating from Asia, Walmart has a significant influence over its suppliers globally.

Certification programs are also valuable business assets in tourism sector, where such programs reward operations that exhibit best practices and help differentiate them from those that are less environmentally sound. They also provide consumers with a way to identify tourism businesses they wish to support.

By taking early action to source only responsibly managed resources, and effectively marketing these endeavors, companies can achieve a business advantage in increasingly sophisticated and environmentally aware global and domestic markets.

Without measures to implement best practice environmental management, businesses risk losing market share, access to capital, and the goodwill needed to operate profitably.

Businesses that grow at the expense of the environment are becoming a thing of the past. The Coral Triangle Initiative ushers in a new approach to conservation in the region where the private sector has a vital role in being part of the solution.

How the business world decides to act now will determine whether we can lay the pathway to a safer future in which the Coral Triangle can continue to support millions of people living on the coast and remain the world’s most important marine environment.

James P. Leape is WWF director general and Arthur C. Yap is Philippine Agriculture Secretary.

Illegal fishing agreement to push pirates out of ports

WWF, 27 November 2009

A new international agreement to better control vessels in the world’s ports will cut off access to global markets for pirate fishers.

Rome, Italy – A new international agreement to better control vessels in the world’s ports will cut off access to global markets for pirate fishers, responsible for fueling overfishing and the illegal seafood trade.

This week, states participating in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) adopted an agreement on port control of vessels engaged in fishing and fish trade, which will greatly reduce illegal fishing.

The new Binding International Agreement on Port State Control Measures to Combat, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (Port State Agreement) sets minimum standards for what every port state must do to prevent illegally caught fish from being offloaded and reaching global markets.

WWF applauds the FAO for ensuring that the Port State Agreement was successfully developed and adopted, and commends progressive member states such as Norway for encouraging the negotiation process for the past two years.

“The oceans are not a ‘free-for-all.’ This landmark agreement makes clear the responsibility of states to keep illegal fish from entering their ports;” said Miguel A. Jorge Director Marine Program at WWF International. “States serious about stamping out pirate fishing and preventing illegally caught seafood from reaching our dinner plates will sign on to this agreement quickly.”

The Port State Agreement was opened for signature on Nov. 23 during the FAO Annual Conference in Rome. Currently, 11 states including the European Union, Chile, Indonesia, Norway and the United States have signed the new treaty, an important first step to become a party to the agreement. In order to enter into force, 25 states need to become parties to the Port State Agreement.

Illegal fishing is one of the largest causes of overfishing and threatens the livelihoods of legitimate fishers and coastal communities. Current estimated value of financial losses because of illegal fishing worldwide is estimated at USD 10 billion to USD 23 billion annually.

Indonesia rejects Bali plan for turtle sacrifices

The Jakarta Post, Niniek Karmini , Associated Press , Jakarta | Fri, 11/27/2009 4:19 PM

Indonesia has rejected a push by the resort island of Bali for rare turtles to be legally slain in Hindu ceremonies, siding with conservationists of the protected reptiles against religious advocates, an official said Friday.

Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika enraged environmentalists by advocating a quota of 1,000 green turtles to be killed each year, strictly for ceremonial purposes.

He said legally killed turtles should not end up in cooking pots, served to tourists in restaurants as soup or turtle skewers as they had in the past.

"It would be supervised tightly, and any violation would have to punished," Pastika told reporters in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday.

Turtle meat is a traditional delicacy in Bali, the only province with a Hindu majority in Indonesia's Muslim-dominated archipelago. But Indonesia banned the turtle trade and consumption a decade ago amid international concerns about the endangered species' dwindling numbers and threats by animal welfare groups of a tourist boycott of Bali.

Masyud, a spokesman for the Forestry Ministry which is also responsible for animal conservation, said Friday the governor's request for a Bali exemption from national protection laws was recently rejected on scientific advice.

"The law clearly mandates it was not possible, that the green turtles are included in the animals listed for protection," said Masyud, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Tens of thousands of green turtles nest on Indonesia's coasts, but sites have dwindled due to poaching and development.

Conservationist generally respect the Hindus' need for turtles in rituals, but railed against the number proposed.

Wayan Geria, coordinator of the Turtle Education and Conservation Center at Bali, described the quota plan as an embarrassment to protection efforts.

Creusa Hitipeuw, coordinator of the Indonesia turtle program of the World Wildlife Fund, said introducing such a high quota could trigger large-scale illegal trade and consumption.

"We recognize the need for the use of turtles in a ceremony, but it has to be managed well," she said. "What we are afraid of is the commercial trade. It's a death trap for this kind of population."

Bali Hindu Faith Council head Ngurah Sudiana called for Jakarta to approve a smaller quota.

"The central government should understand the need for green turtles as part of traditional ceremonies because it relates to our faith," Sudiana said. "Prohibiting it will hurt Balinese people."

Up to five turtles are needed for sacrifice at each of the 100 to 150 large ceremonies a year in Hindu temples around Bali, he said.

Turtles were traditionally decapitated. But since they became protected in 1999, ceremonies in many temples have changed with turtles being symbolically sacrificed through their release to the sea alive.

Associated Press writer Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report.

Dead fish drifting in Indonesia after oil leak

The Jakarta Post

The Associated Press | Fri, 10/30/2009 6:32 PM

Thousands of dead fish and clumps of oil have been found drifting near Indonesia's coastline more than two months after an underwater well began leaking in the Timor Sea, officials and fishermen said.

Oil rig in Timor Sea catches on fire

An estimated 400 barrels a day of oil has been leaking from a fissure that erupted on Aug. 21 at a rig about 150 miles (250 kilometers) off the Australian coast. PTTEP Australasia, a branch of Thai-owned PTT Exploration and Production Co. Ltd., has failed repeatedly to stop the leak but says it is still trying.

The head of the World Wildlife Fund Australia, Gilly Llewellyn, said Friday that the early impact of the spill is beginning to become clear.

"This is shaping up to be one of the largest (spills) in Australian history," Llewellyn said in an interview. "It is one of the most diverse marine habitats in the world. The impact could be over weeks, months, years."

It is still unclear how far the spill has actually spread because much of it may be undersea, Llewellyn said.

But a slick has drifted hundreds of miles (kilometers) toward the impoverished Indonesian province of East Nusatenggara, where fishermen say they have seen thousands of dead fish drifting.

Residents in the seaside villages of Nunkolo and Bandi, located on small islands off the coast of West Timor, were suffering skin problems and acute diarrhea after eating contaminated fish, local environmental groups said.

"Fishermen have been facing serious difficulties for the past month," Ferdi Tanoni, chairman of the West Timor Care Foundation, said. "Villagers' income dropped by 80 percent because many fish died or smelled oily."

If estimates of the amount of oil leakage per day are accurate, the current size of the spill would have reached nearly 1.2 million gallons (more than 5.3 million liters).

There are fears it could harm whales, turtles and dolphins - some of them rare - living in the deep waters.

Several dead sea snakes and birds have been found in oil and are believed to have been killed by the slick, although tests have not yet determined the cause of death, Llewellyn said.

Samples taken by West Timor's Regional Environmental Agency in waters roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast found high concentrations of oil and, in one out of every four tests, dead fish.

Related Articles:

PTTEP Says Rig May Collapse With Fire Out of Control

Australian oil spill well on fire: officials

Oil rig in Timor Sea catches on fire

Spills aside PTTEP wants more leases

RP, Papua New Guinea to engage in high-level talks on fishery cooperation

BusinessWorld, Philippines,

SAN JUAN, BATANGAS — The Philippines and Papua New Guinea will negotiate a bilateral agreement aimed at fostering fishery cooperation, said Malacañang yesterday.

Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde said President Gloria M. Arroyo will discuss the agreement during Prime Minister Michael Somare’s four-day stay in the country starting this Saturday.

"The Philippines and Papua New Guinea are members of the so-called Coral Triangle Initiative countries. A joint venture of fisheries will be discussed during the state visit," he said.

Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands are also part of a multilateral alliance to preserve the Coral Triangle environment. All in all, the area spans 6.5 million square kilometers and is home to over 600 reef-building corals and various fish species.

As the most diverse marine region on the planet, the Coral Triangle sustains the lives of nearly 130 million people and contains major spawning and nursery grounds for tuna.

Mr. Somare, who’s arriving in Manila on Saturday, will join Ms. Arroyo in General Santos on Monday to meet with key stakeholders in the tuna industry in the province.

Last week, the World Wide Fund urged Coral Triangle Initiative countries to negotiate for better tuna prices and fair fishing arrangements with other nations.

The six nations of the initiative — Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands — account for around 70% of the world’s tuna catch, including threatened species like big eye and yellowfin tuna.

"Protection and responsible management of these spawning grounds and migratory routes is an essential ecosystem service to the world’s multi-billion dollar tuna industry," WWF Coral Triangle Program head Lida Pet Soede was earlier quoted as saying.

"Taking advantage of this unique asset can help strengthen the position of Coral Triangle countries in their negotiations for fairer prices and fairer fishing arrangements with non-Coral Triangle nations, who also fish in these waters."

On Sunday, the visiting Papua New Guinea leader will attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Luneta Park in the morning before attending mass at San Agustin Church. Mr. Somare will also have a working lunch with business tycoon Lucio Tan after his tour of Intramuros. He will be given full arrival honors at Caticlan airport on Sunday afternoon and Ms. Arroyo will host the state dinner for him at the Shangri-La resort hotel. — B. S. Sto. Domingo

Related Article:

World Ocean Conference, 11-15 May 2009, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia