Karimun Industrial Area Threaten Fishermen Lives

Karimun Shipyard Industry

The life of fishermen in Meral District Meral, Karimun regency, Riau Islands (Kepri) province are threatened due to the establishment of the shipping industry along the coast district.

Fishermen complain that the activity of dredging and reclamation of sea lanes along the coast of Pasir Panjang Village to Pangke cause mud to the sea water becomes turbid.

"Mud resulting from dredging and reclamation resulted in the fish run. Traditional fishermen who typically look for fish on the beach threatened his life because the catch was reduced,'' said Chairman of Farmers and Fishermen of Karimun Contact, Amirullah, Wednesday.

Along the coast of Pasir Panjang to Pangke, as a free trade zone, stand up to a number of shipbuilding companies, such as PT Multi Ocean Shipyard, PT Kinaka Shipyard, PT Karimun Marine Shipyard and PT Tri Karya Alam. Then the offshore and fabricating company from Italia, PT Saipem Karimun Yard and fuel oil storage company from German, Oiltanking.

The whole company has been and will dredge the sea lanes and the reclamation of beaches for infrastructure development company.

Changes in fishing area into industry area threatens the fate of thousands of fishermen. The government must find solutions that are not fishermen lost their livelihoods. For example by increasing the capture means, such as assistance bigger boats and fishing nets are more modern.

''We've expressed the aspirations of fishermen to the members of the local legislative Karimun. Hopefully these aspirations are heard and communicated to local governments and immediately find a solution,''he said.