Fishpond Rehabilitation: Is that one of the solution?

Is this idea become a new solution to the problem of deforerstation of mangrove trees along the beach? To reduce the number of mangroves being cut by people, it is necessary if we are not expanding the fishpond activities through mangroves cutting. The one solution is to use the old fishpond that was sometimes abandoned by its user when it was not fertile anymore to do shrimp fishery business in there. However, this effort will require experienced people to do it as well as more money resources required. In some deforested mangroves area, fishpond rehabilitation should become more popular than increasing to open new fishpond landlot and deforesting more mangrove trees. There is example where mangroves is still untouchable by human hands and naturally and wildly grow in its environment. The example of this can bee seen from Papua, another island in Indonesia besides Celebes or Sulawesi. In Papua mangroves may reach 8 to 10 metres for its height and still difficult to touch because they grow and live in the wild swamp areas where crocodiles and malaria musquitos still abundant.

Mangroves and Poverty: Do they interrelated?

This is fishpond and the house of poor people around it. Formerly the area was mangroves area. This picture was taken from Paojepe Beach, South Sulawesi.

Mangroves and poverty in some cases are always interrelated based on the example and experiences of South Celebes Mangroves areas. For instance at Tongke-Tongke Sub-district in Sinjai Regency, mangroves can be prereserved and maintained as the fishermen in there do not depend themselves on the fishing of fish around their areas. They are actually far distance fishermen and hunting Sunu Fish (in local term) and gone to another sea areas for a long period of time. Therefore no intensive interaction with mangroves in their place. Poverty is eradicated through the fishing work in the middle of the sea. Sometimes this type of fishermen went away from their home for three months and comeback to their homes after this period of time. And those in Paojepe where mangroves have gone they are not fishermen anymore and become fishpond workers. Poverty has destructed mangroves from its own environment as the people in the area and people from another areas coming to Paojepe Beach area to seek income from fishpond and shrimp fishery business. Poverty will cause fishpond and shrimp fishery business become severe as people trying to earn their income from this activities. If society in the beach areas still depend themselves from income close to the beach, there is a tendency if mangroves would be destructed. Not only mangroves, but also coral reef would have similar destiny with mangroves as the people would also destruct it in order to sustain their family life. In order there is a sequence where poverty become the antecedent variable of fishpond or shrimp fishery business activities, and then the fishpond or shrimp fishery business activities will cause the destruction toward mangroves. The higher the poverty level in the area, the higher the probability to the people to do fishpond or shrimp fishery business activities, and the higher the level of these activities, there would also the higher the level of mangroves will be destroyed. Research in several mangroves areas still need to be done as the comparison of this hypothesis.

Save Mangroves from Fishpond or Sacrifice Mangroves for Fishpond

These two related questions always become contradictive questions as both of it in fact have certain interest namely economic interest and environmental protection interest. Both of these interests are the same important as it is required by human needs. Saving mangroves from fishpond means sacrificing the economic interest and prefer environmental protection interest for sustainable living and for the future of human generation. In this situation economic interest doesn't get its priority and it meant that the prosperity of human economic well being is still in poor condition as they can not use the resources available for their welfare. In the longterm human being will be trapped in the poverty as the natural resources can not be exploited for their own living. This is also no good for human welfare itself as living in poverty actually become very miserable and painful. Therefore we as human being should also use a relevant way of thinking in line with the situations occurs and should be faced. From the second point of view, whether we should sacrifice mangroves for fishpond activites, especially for shrimp fishery business it is also requires a careful consideration. Sacrificing the environment for economic interest alone will also become disaster to human being. Examples of it are so many, from flooding, landsliding, drought, etc. and therefore we need to consider the environmental variables in preparing or doing our economic activities. Considering the safety of environment and the interest of future generation should also become our own agenda. We can not destroy this life, either it is our life or the life of future generation because of short-term economic interest. Departing from this question, what we should do to protect the environment and in this context is mangroves?

The Quality of Shrimp Fishery Export from South Celebes

Most of the yields of shrimp fishery business in South Celebes are exported to Japan. Besides Japan some other countries in Europe and USA are also receive shrimp produce from South Celebes. The recent trends in shrimp fishery export from South Celebes is that the rumour if the shrimp fishery export decrese in number as the result of high quality standard applied by buyer countries. The standard is especially related to the pollutant contained in the shrimp produce and chemical substance that the produces have. However, this rumour was denied by the official of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of South Sulawesi or South Celebes. The official said if the shrimp fishery produces from South Celebes were not banner by its buyer countries. The shrimp fishery produces that were rejected derived from Lampung shrimp fishery business. What can we say about the quality and cleanliness in shrimp fishery that are being asked by importer countries, especially toward the pollution of chemical substance on it. It is well known in this country that some irresponsible traders or businessmen had given chemical substance to the food or products they have. They did this just to avoid the loss that they might experience if their products were out of order before it was bought by the consumer. Not only fish and shrimp that have received chemical substances on it, but it is also tofu and chicken as well as some other ready made food such as meat balls or fish meat balls. Not only the foods receive chemical substances in order to prevent them from quickly out of order, but it is also sometimes fish receives the coloring with inappropriate substances that can cause cancer. Indonesian Government through the related authorities has banned these activities and have done either market or products surveillance, especially through the related authority at the Minsitry of Health or in local term called as BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan) or the Board for Drugs and Foods Control. Does the activities of this government body effective in eradiculate or prevent the practice of giving chemical substances to the food related products?

Shrimp Fishery Business: Angel or Evil.

This is the question we have related this kind of business actually. Why do we ask this question to this type of business? The answer is too obvious to give as all of us have already know that unregulated shrimp fishery business will cause disaster to the environment, especially mangroves environment. If we see mangroves forest in most areas in Indonesia, a plenty of it have gone as the result of unregulated or uncontrolled shrimp fishery business. Either it is in Java Island as a densely populated island of the country or in outside Java Islands which are still having a scarcely populatio, the condition of the environment that relate to the mangroves is still an unhappy news to those who have a great concern to the environment or sustainable development. This is the issue or the problem that we should solve together in order to get or to save mangroves from depletion or destruction. Every effot to replant it should be supported as this has also been done in certain area in the South Celebes. We name Pak Toyib who has initiate this effort to replant mangroves at Tongke-Tongke, a village close to Sinjai- the capital city of a regency in South Celebes Province. He had been given the Kalpataru Award for his effort to do this thing and bring a good name to the village for being a good village or village that has concern to the environment. Go back to the shrimp fishery business itself, could we call it as angel or evil, it does depends on the context where we perceive it. If we perceive it from the environmental interest point of view, we can say that this business is almost an evil to the environment. The evidence is clear as we can see from the case of Paojepe Beach in the former post of this blog. However, if we perceive shrimp fishery business from the perspective of business interest, it is actually an angel, and especially an angel to prosper the economy of the country through making it as export commodities.

Shrimp fishery business

Seafood is recognized important for almost all of the people who like it and enjoy it. This human being taste need to be regulated in the activity to produce those kind of food before coming to the table. Therefore, the cetification for a sustainable shrimp and fisheries activities is also needed in order to protect the environment. This has been done through the certification of the Canadian Northern Shrimp Trawl Fishery by receiving international certification through Marine Stewardship Council. The shrimp fishery has been deemed as sustainable and well managed by international group. And all of these will also becoming more and more required by major retailers around the world. This kind of shrimp fishery has been implemented in the open sea. The question is how about the shrimp fishery activity which is done on the edge of the beach by cuting mangroves and other trees around it. Seafood is a more traded commodity around the world more than tea, coffe, and cocoa combined together. Consumers should therefore make a wise choice decision in order to save and protect the beach environment. Companies have also begun to develop sustainable seafood procurement policies. According to one of executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), the certification is an excellent step for the industry and the people who purchase its products. The customers at the end of the day can have the assurance that the shrimp and fish products comes from an environmentally sound and a well managed business. Furthermore the Association of Seafood Producers should also hire an independent company to assess and certify the shrimp fishery. On the other hand, the firm should also appoint scientist who examine stocks, the impact of the fishery on the marine ecosystem, as well as the management systems being used. Sound fishery practice is important because without sustainability in the fishery, the longer term prosperity can not be possible.

Mangroves and Sea Waves: Two Sides of One Coin.

Mangroves and seawaves are two sides of one coin as Ebony and Ivory. They should live side by side and in perfect harmony. If mangroves gone and only seawaves left, the consequence is obvious. Flooding to the land is one of the consequence which is very common. Loss of the land is another consequence that should be experienced by the people who live on the edge of the beach. If there are no mangroves, the sea water will intrude the land and the sea become wider as the land loss happen. We don't want this to happen as the global warming will also exarcebated the situation with the increase of sea water level every year. Every effort to plant the mangrove trees along the beach areas in order to protect beach environment should also be promoted and supported by all parties and people who have concerd toward it. It could come from the civil society, corporate, and also the government. These three stakholders should work together side by side and hand in hand to save mangroves and beach environment. What is the necessary action required now for to do this? Compiling or collecting the funds from civil society and corporate as well as fund from the government are inevitable action. These funds should be use to buy the seed of mangrove or to breed it and then to plant it in the beach areas which are empty from mangroves and another greenbelt protectors.

Some Mangroves Were Deforested for Fish Pond Business

From this picture we can see fishpond that is use to grow shrimp or fish between the mangrove trees. For this purpose mangroves were deforested and destructed by people who own the land in order to get the benefit from their own business effort. This situation is not good enough for the society who live there as they might be in danger and might experience losing their wealth and properties as the impact of the people action toward the environment. Fishpond business is a profitable business for those who know how to do and to manage it. This business is also need and require a high capital to undertake, especially from buying or renting the land as well as to buy the shrimp or prawn and fish breed. The capital needed always change time to time but one thing for sure is the number of fishpond is still increase from time to time. This is inline with the export of shrimp and fishpond yields to overseas which are increasing in the amount of dollar. However, all of these dollar cause a consequence to the beach environment and its inhabitants. Land and environmental degradation are the first price they should pay, inline with the dollar goes to the pocket of the capital owners of fishpond businesses. What should the society and the government do to protect mangroves from deforestation? Contribution and environmental campaign are not enough action to save the beach and mangroves from destruction. A strong penalty should also be taken by the government to the fishpond business owners who do not care about environmental safety on the beach areas. Their businesses should also also obey the ISO for environmental protection and safety. If the fishpond owners or companies do not really care about this matter, their business should be banned from the beach, to protect the greater societies and interests in there.

Mangroves as a Green Belt to Prevent from Sea Waves

As a greenbelt to prevent from sea water intrusion to the land, mangroves actually has the function to protect the land where the inhabitant lives from flooding, hard wind, and also from abration and abhation. These functions sometime are not recogniced or has appropriate attention to all of them who involve in the shrimp and fisheries business in the beach areas. Why the capital owners for shrimp or fisheries business do not have interest to pay enough attention to mangrove trees and its function? The reason obviously related to their interest to gain much profit from their own business activities. Paying to much attention or giving a high priority to the environmental concern will actually reduce their own profit opportunities. And this is not good enough for them and the benefit and welfare of their workers or laborers. If this is done severely, we can find what happen to Paojepe Beach will also happen to another places. This is very common now as we have heard a lot of report that say about beach areas destruction and environmental degradation. A hard campaign and communities as well as government supports are needed to be done in the long run in order to preserve beach areas and its inhabitants from destruction extermination. Sea waves itself are very common to cause flooding to the land if there are no mangroves on the beach. No barriers to entry the land if there are no mangroves as a greenbelt on the beach. If there are mangroves, sea waves will be blocked to enter the land and it will save the people who live there and their own properties as well.

Mangroves Forest that Still Exist

These mangroves are still exist on the beach as the result of people awaraness about the importance of the greenbelt as a safety belt to the land behind the beach area. There are three important interests of the stakeholders that causing either the beach areas could still be conserved or not. This is called as stakeholders interests to the cultivation of beach land areas, including mangrove trees. Three important stakholders here are the capital owner of shrimp or fisheries business and its workers, the government, and fishermen society who live in beach areas. Capital owners and their workers need to increase or to gain high profit from the business, while the government on the other side has interest to protect the environment while promoting a favorable or conducive business environment. On this position government has a middle position or contradictive position, whereas they should create a good economic growth on the one side and on the other hand government should also play the role in saving and protecting the beach environment for future generation and fishermen society who currently live in the beach areas. Meanwhile fishermen society in the beach areas also need to have a good lving condition and environment and free from pollution of chemical disposals or from another substance that could harm their lives. Meeting point for all of the interest of these three stakholders on the beach areas are not very easy as the economic interest is not always inline or agree with social or environmental interest. The three parties should sit together to talk about saving and preserving beach environment from disaster and destruction.

Still Many Mangroves on the Edge of Bonepute Beach, Bone Regency.

Still there are some mangroves on the edge of Bonepute Beach. Although people have interests in doing fish pond business at this place, the beach environment can be said as a half in danger situation. Why it can be said like this? All we can see are about people behavior of the beach and its surrounding areas. So many people have their own interest in doing their fish and shrimp business here, but why the environment still can be kept safely although not all of it. The answer might be because there are still government control or might be because of people who live in this surrounding beach. Bonepute Beach is situated in Bone Regency, where its capital city is Watampone. Still this place is in South Sulawesi Province or South Celebes people name it. Around this beach there are also some sacred place on the hill close to the beach, and still jungle trees and teak forest can be found in this beach area. Those who are doing fish pond business in Bonepute Beach might be aware about this sacred place or might not care about it. But people who walk around the forest at this beach should aware of the danger of Cobra Snake in which according to some people could jump or fly between the trees in the nearby forest. All we know about inhabitant in this place most of them are still fishermen who always gone to the sea around middle of the night and come back to their home after the sun has risen. They are not faraway fishermen, as they just did their own work at the sea around the beach. Who is the fishpond business actors in this place then? They are not always the owner of the fish pond itself. Some of these fishpond are belong to the richmen in the Makassar City, either they are businessmen or government officers. And those who did the business either just salaried men or hired men for that purpose.

Where Mangroves Have Gone in Paojepe Beach, Wajo Regency.

Mangroves and its surrounding environments have gone in Paojepe Beach. All we can see at the beach when we visit the place are just empty beach sand and mud which is dirty. Paojepe Beach is situated in Sengkang, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi or South Celebes some people named it. This beach is not far enough from Palopo, a small city about two hours drive to Tana Toraja Regency. Go back to Paojepe Beach what happen in this place is the result of human behavior to exploit beach environment for their own economic interests. Almost all of mangroves have gone as the beach land was converted into fish pond. The people who cultivate the land mostly came from other parts of the region and have experiences in doing that business. Usually they are the owner or partners of the owner of fishpond business. They come from Pangkep Regency which is also in South Sulawesi Province. However, they usually just came alone and do not bring their own family there. Their family still stay at their home in Pangkep and for their children attentd the school and the wive take care of the children. This place is also not suitable for children, especially little children as the wind very heavy and the weather is very hot. We can understand why the weather is very hot here. It could happen as there are not so many trees are found in Paojepe Beach. People do not care about the environment and just thinking about their economic benefit to use the beach for doing fish and prawn business as a profitable export commodites for prawn and local consumption for fish. The impact is very severe, especially toward beach environment and its inhabitants such as bird, bat, crabs, and other biological living.