Fishers on a small island off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, have called for an end to coastal dredging, which they claim has decimated their daily catch.
Sand dredging along Rupat Island's north coast occurred from September to December of last year, but was halted due to fisherman protests.
The fishermen have petitioned Indonesia's president and energy minister to revoke the dredging company's permit, and their request is supported by an environmental group's discovery of high rates of shoal erosion in the area.
According to activists, the government has issued 1,400 dredging permits throughout Indonesia as of November 2021, covering an area of nearly 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) and affecting approximately 35,000 fishers.
PEKANBARU, INDONESIA – Fishers in Indonesia's Riau province have petitioned President Joko Widodo to halt offshore dredging operations, which they claim endanger their livelihoods and the marine ecosystem.
The letter, which was sent to Widodo and the energy minister in April, requests that PT Logomas Utama's permit be revoked. The company is currently permitted to dredge sand along 5,030 hectares (12,430 acres) of the northern coast of Rupat Island, off the coast of Sumatra's Riau province. The petition comes in the wake of a government initiative to review thousands of palm oil and mining permits and revoke those deemed to be exploiting natural resources too slowly.
"We're not accusing them carelessly here," Akhun, a member of the Adesta Seagull Fisher Group, said at a press conference on April 18. "Before the sand mining began, our catch was sufficient to cover household expenses." It has dropped dramatically since the dredging began."
He went on to say that the dredging had put "our families in jeopardy," with "nothing" to bring home to their wives and children. "Pay attention to us," Akhun said. "Please assist us, small fishers."
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| Fishers on Rupat Island off the coast of Sumatra say dredging has decimated their daily catch. Image by Suryadi/Mongabay Indonesia. |
The fishermen accuse Logomas, which began operating in the region in 2021, of destroying their fishing grounds, resulting in a drop in daily catches from 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) to 1-2 kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) today. Environmentalists have also expressed concern about the dredging, claiming that it violates a 2007 law governing the management of coastal areas and small islands.
Preliminary findings from an investigation conducted by the Riau chapter of Walhi, Indonesia's largest environmental NGO, back up the fishers' claims about the dredging's effects. They indicate a high rate of shoal erosion around Rupat Island.
"This has run counter to the push for tourism development on Rupat Island and the surrounding small islands," said Even Sembiring, executive director of Walhi Riau, in a press release. "The tourism destination has suffered as a result of sand mining activities."
Logomas obtained its concession in 1999, but did not begin mining for several years, owing in part to a moratorium imposed by the governor of Riau from 1998 to 2003. According to Walhi, the company obtained a permit renewal in 2017 without having updated its environmental impact assessment.
The company finally began dredging in September 2021, prompting protests from Rupat fishermen. According to Walhi, it ceased operations on December 24 and does not appear to have resumed since then.
"Our hope is that the president and the minister immediately revoke Logomas's permit so that fishers, shrimp, and others can feel safe," said Eriyanto, the head of the Grouper Fisheries Group from Suka Damai village on Rupat Island.
Coastal dredging to mine sand for construction purposes is common around many of Indonesia's remote and often uninhabited islands.
"It's part of a larger damage or crisis in coastal areas and small islands that is affecting fishers' livelihoods," said Parid Ridwanuddin, Walhi's coastal and marine campaign manager.
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