13 Maret 2008

Samudra dalam bahaya

Sumber : http://web.bisnis.com/edisi-cetak/edisi-harian/tajuk/1id48164.html
Selasa, 11/03/2008

Sudah banyak hasil penelitian soal degradasi kualitas lautan dunia yang mengakibatkan berkurangnya ekosistem marin dan punahnya sejumlah spesies ikan.

Bulan lalu, satu tim peneliti Amerika, Inggris dan Kanada menyimpulkan bahwa tidak ada setitik pun tempat di samudra yang tidak tersentuh oleh kehidupan manusia modern. Manusia mengotori sekitar 41% total lautan dengan polusi, overfishing dan penyalahgunaan lainnya.

Amerika harus bisa bertindak lebih baik untuk mengatasi persoalan itu, juga negara-negara lainnya. Amerika biasanya lebih sensitif soal isu maritim dibandingkan dengan negara kelautan lainnya seperti Jepang.

Tahun lalu, Presiden George W. Bush menetapkan salah satu suaka laut terbesar di dunia seluas 138.000 mil persegi yang sebagian besar terdiri dari terumbu karang di dekat Hawaii. Dia harus membuat kebijakan serupa di sejumlah tempat lain di perairan Amerika dan mendorong para pemimpin negara lain untuk bertindak serupa. Bush juga harus memastikan Kongres untuk menyetujui undang-undang soal laut.

Tanpa persetujuan itu, Amerika Serikat tidak akan memiliki suara saat keputusan soal hak berlayar, eksplorasi dasar samudra dan kegiatan penangkapan ikan dibuat. Amerika harus memiliki hak itu dan negara-negara lain harus mendengarkannya.

International Herald Tribune, 9 Maret

12 Maret 2008

RESOLUSI NELAYAN INDONESIA


Dengan Rahmat Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, Kami nelayan dan
masyarakat pesisir Indonesia yang menghadiri Temu
Konsolidasi Organisasi Nelayan Indonesia, pada tanggal
4-5 Maret 2008, di Gedung YTKI-Jakarta, menyampaikan
kesaksian dan tuntutan pada pengurus negara Indonesia,
sebagai berikut:

1. Bahwa sejak rezim Orde Baru, nasib nelayan dan
masyarakat pesisir Indonesia senantiasa terpinggirkan.
Program pembangunan yang dilakukan lebih
menitikberatkan pada persoalan pertanian dan
pembangunan infrastruktur darat. Nelayan dan
masyarakat pesisir tidak menjadi sektor penting bagi
program pembangunan. Padahal faktanya, lebih dari 67%
kabupaten/kota di Indonesia merupakan kabupaten/kota
pesisir atau yang berhadapan langsung dengan perairan
laut. Kenyataan lainnya, lebih dari 65% total penduduk
Indonesia tinggal dan menggantungkan hidupnya pada
sumberdaya pesisir dan laut;

2. Bahwa rezim SBY-JK, tidak lebih baik dari pada
rezim-rezim sebelumnya. Politik ekonomi yang dibangun
oleh rezim ini masih merujuk pada watak dan corak
kepemimpinan yang anti rakyat, menghamba dan
tunduk-tertindas pada kekuatan pemodal dan sangat
tergantung pada utang luar negeri, termasuk untuk
kegiatan kelautan dan perikanan;

3. Bahwa rezim SBY-JK, telah dengan sengaja
mempertontonkan keberpihakannya kepada pemodal
sekaligus anti nelayan melalui UU No.27/2007 tentang
Pengelolaan Wilayah Pesisir dan Pulau-pulau Kecil (UU
PWP-PPK). Dengan sertifikat HP-3 (Hak Penguasaan
Perairan Pesisir) pengurus negara memberikan
keistimewaan pada pemodal besar untuk menguasai dan
mengeksploitasi sumber-sumber kehidupan nelayan dan
masyarakat yang berada di wilayah pesisir dan
pulau-pulau kecil, hingga lebih dari 20 tahun.
Demikian sama halnya, dengan keberadaan UU No.25/2007
tentang Penanaman Modal (UUPM).

4. Bahwa politik konservasi laut yang dianut oleh
SBY-JK, telah membatasi akses nelayan untuk mengelola
sumber-sumber kehidupan di wilayah laut dan pesisir.
Pendekatan konservasi laut yang bias darat, anti
nelayan, dan syarat utang luar negeri terbukti telah
menyebabkan konflik yang merugikan kehidupan nelayan
baik berupa harta benda hingga korban jiwa. Kasus
Taman Nasional Komodo di Nusa Tenggara Timur
(2003-2004); Taman Nasional Wakatobi di Sulawesi
Tenggara (2002-2007); dan Taman Nasional Bunaken di
Sulawesi Utara (2001-2005) adalah sejumlah konflik
yang melibatkan aparat keamanan (TNI/POLRI), Balai
Pengelola Taman Nasional, dan di sokong oleh
lembaga-lembaga konservasi internasional seperti WWF,
TNC, NRM dan CI;

5. Bahwa pemerintahan SBY-JK dengan sengaja membiarkan
praktek-praktek pembuangan limbah tambang dan industri
(tailing) yang mengakibatkan tercemar dan hancurnya
sumber-sumber kehidupan nelayan di laut. Laut bukanlah
tong sampah bagi kepentingan industri;

6. Bahwa politik pembangunan yang dijalankan dewasa
ini, masih menempatkan perempuan nelayan sebagai
sub-ordinat dari kepentingan pembangunan sektor
kelautan dan perikanan;

7. Bahwa politik adu-domba untuk memecah-belah
kelompok nelayan dan masyarakat pesisir melalui dana
pemberdayaan masyarakat (community development) yang
berasal dari perusahan-perusahaa n perusak lingkungan
(seperti industri tambang dan migas) telah memicu
konflik dan pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia (HAM)
dibanyak wilayah pesisir dan pulau-pulau kecil
Indonesia;

8. Bahwa konflik perikanan antara nelayan tradisional
Indonesia berhadapan dengan industri perikanan dan
kapal-kapal asing semakin marak terjadi akhir-akhir
ini. Kasus nelayan tradisional di kabupaten Bengkalis
propinsi Riau melawan kelompok Jaring Batu/Jaring
Dasar sejak tahun 1983 sampai sekarang, dapat disebut
mewakili konflik tersebut. Pemerintah pusat dan daerah
terlihat terus membiarkan konflik terjadi hingga
menimbulkan korban jiwa dan material. Setidaknya
tercatat 5 (lima) orang nelayan tradisional telah
tewas dalam konflik ini;

9. Bahwa kami juga menilai politik klaim atas nama
Nelayan Indonesia yang senantiasa diterapkan
pemerintah melalui organisasi seperti Himpunan Nelayan
Seluruh Indonesia (HNSI) selama ini, sama sekali tidak
membawa manfaat yang optimal bagi kesejahteraan dan
peningkatan kualitas hidup masyarakat nelayan dan
pesisir Indonesia;

10. Bahwa berdasarkan kesaksian, penilaian, dan
fakta-fakta di atas, maka Kami menuntut kepada
pengurus negara:
a. Tingkatkan jaminan keselamatan serta kesejahteraan
nelayan dan masyarakat pesisir dengan menerapkan
kebijakan ekonomi politik yang lebih berpihak pada
pemenuhan kebutuhan dasar nelayan dan masyarakat
pesisir termasuk aman dari ancaman bencana;
b. Segera merubah total seluruh kebijakan ekonomi
politik untuk tidak lagi menghamba pada kuasa pemodal
serta tergantung pada utang luar negeri dari
lembaga-lembaga keuangan internasional yang selama ini
membiayai proyek-proyek kelautan dan perikanan di
Indonesia, seperti Bank Dunia (World Bank) dan Bank
Pembangunan Asia (ADB); termasuk bantuan dari
lembaga-lembaga konservasi internasional seperti WWF,
TNC, NRM, dan CI yang anti-rakyat dan justru
memperdagangkan sumber-sumber kehidupan nelayan;
c. Cabut UU No.27/2007 tentang Pengelolaan Wilayah
Pesisir dan Pulau-Pulau Kecil;
d. Hentikan pengkaplingan dan zonasi kawasan pesisir
dan laut atas nama Taman Nasional dan konservasi
laut;
e. Hentikan program reklamasi pantai;
f. Hentikan praktek perikanan ilegal (illegal fishing)
di seluruh perairan Indonesia;
g. Hentikan ekspansi industri pertambakan dan
perikanan;
h. Hentikan pembuangan limbah ke laut;
i. Hentikan eksploitasi sumberdaya pesisir dan laut,
seperti pasir laut;
j. Hentikan tindak kekerasan dan kriminalisasi
terhadap nelayan di seluruh Indonesia;
k. Tingkatkan kualitas hidup perempuan nelayan untuk
mendapatkan hak-haknya atas pengelolaan sumberdaya
laut dan pesisir.

Kami menyerukan seluruh nelayan dan organisasi
masyarakat sipil di Indonesia untuk terus merapatkan
barisan dan mengokohkan persatuan rakyat demi
terwujudnya kesejahteraan nelayan Indonesia.
Demikian resolusi nelayan dan masyarakat pesisir
Indonesia ini kami sampaikan.

Nelayan Indonesia Bersatulah!!
Jakarta, 6 Maret 2008

Peserta Konsolidasi Nelayan Nasional Indonesia
SNKB-Riau, KOMPI-Jabar, SINAR-Sulut, LPSDN-NTB,
FPWK-Jatim, INSAN-Kalsel, SETAM-Jogjakarta, WALHI, SP
Anging Mamiri Sulsel, Solidaritas Perempuan, PP SHI,
FKNJ-Jakarta, FPMTN-Lampung

03 Maret 2008

Fish on the run: How pirates attacks on fishing trawlers hike price of fish

http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3897&Itemid=0

Print | E-mail
Written by Ifeyinwa Obi
Saturday, 01 March 2008

There are serious indications that the price of fish may run way out of reach of the common masses in the non-distant future if the activities of the sea pirates remain as it is today.Incidentally, the development is beginning to worry stakeholders including the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NTOA), the umbrella body of fishing companies, captains of ships and fish sellers.


Fish on the run
Yet the solution to the problem seems far away as government seem to have abandoned the people concerned, to their fate.However, NTOA recently decided to involve the public by stagging a national protest. The protest chronicled losses, human and materials, occasioned by series of pirate attacks on ship vessels carrying fish and other goods.On the last count, NTOA said that the association has lost billions of naira worth of goods and services in the last one year.

According to the vice president of the association, Mrs Margaret Orakwusi, government has to intervene urgently or the sector risks more losses as the attacks were becoming a daily occurrence. She said “the spate of piracy attack in this country is becoming alarming, the Nigerian coast at the moment, should be ranking the most dangerous in the whole world. In January this year alone, we recorded a lot of attacks, and lost about five lives in just two days.

“But we are still waiting for the response of the government, it is a pity that nothing has been done so far. With over 170 fishing trawlers pilled up at the moment because the sea Captains refuse to sail any more, the sector is sinking.

Besides, these trawlers are investments running into billions and they are lying idle there. If nothing is done fast, I am afraid about 50,000 skilled and unskilled labour will loose their jobs and having these lot back into the labour market can never be fun.”

The dangers of what is happing in this sector is that it may breed economic down time. If such pressure builds and the threat of the pirate attacks continue to grow, it may cause serious economic consequences on the country’s maritime business concerns.

Pirate attacks affect not only the Trawler owners, but also have a way of permeating into the life of common masses. The goods and services conveyed by these trawlers, end up at the stable of the common people.

Now, at the Liverpool fish market in Apapa, a fish that ordinarily could go for N200 before the new development, now goes for about N500 or more and other markets, particularly in the Lagos metropolis are not spared.

This development is mounting serious tension among the common masses and those who spoke to Vanguard expressed fear that like everything Nigerian, this trend might not be reversed. A fish seller at the Liverpool market, who identified herself as Mrs Bose said that “ the men who bring fish for us are complaining that the robbers are harassing them on daily basis and so they no longer go into the sea again.

But today the whole thing is affecting us badly. Look at a small basket of crayfish that goes for about three hundred naira before, is now up to N1,800 to N2000 depending on the mood of the person selling it. Most times we don’t see any fish when the trawlers arrive because the robbers blocked roads. big fish is giving way to very small ones”.

When Saturday Vanguard got to the Trawlers bay at Apapa, the trawling fishing vessels were all parked. One of the fishermen who identified himself as Prince Olangboye recounted what has been happening to them.

“We can not fish again, we only move around the shores where we don’t get enough to keep us going. This situation is no longer funny, our families are suffering. Now take a look at the number of vessels that is parked here and imagine how much that is wasting on daily basis. The most irritating is that there is no alternative. Let the government come to our aid as they have promised. The promise is taking too long to be fulfilled,” he lamented.

Also, one of the victims of the most recent sea robbery attack, Shola Ige, narrated his ordeal to Vanguard: “They attacked us yesterday after takwarbay inside the sea in a spot called signal. The robbers were armed with sofiscated weapons.

They collected 9 engines ranking from 40 horse power to 25 horse power capacity from us, even as we tried to run away from them. Meanwhile, they chased after us with three speed boat that has double 75 horse power engine, giving them the opportunity of outrunning us”.

The funny aspect of the whole thing is that even the sea pirates are complaining down time as the ship captains down tool. Ige said that the sea pirates “ disposed us of all our money and the little fish we have in the vessel. They also threatened to deal with the trawlers if they set eyes on them again, saying that for refusing to enter the sea, they (Pirates) have not been making good market since then”.

Interestingly, this sector of the economy, earns a lot of foreign exchange for the country. Currently it is believed to be the second highest non-oil export industry. So the Government has the responsibility of providing it with security, to carry out their legitimate businesses.

Yet more damages are looming large. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) an International Workers Union, is threatening to declare Nigerian territorial waters a war zone due to the sea robbers attacks and kidnaping on the merchant shipping. This would alert the shipping world on the dangers in operating in Nigerian waters.

Just last year, a piracy report confirmed Nigerian waters as one of the most deadly in the world during the first half of 2004.

In a similar development, the International Maritime Bureau, reported that half of the 30 deaths recorded in pirate attacks round the world in the first half of 2004 occurred in Nigerian territorial waters, adding that on the number of attacks, Nigeria ranked third after Indonesia and Malacca.

Industry watchers say Nigerian’s growing prominence for piracy can be traced to crude oil and its sales to vessels off shore. Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard gathered that the illegal oil trade has in turn funded further arms procurement which is behind the spawning of a wide range of criminal activities including sea robbery.

This could not unconnected with corruption and mismanagement which has characterised successive governments in Nigerian administrations, has in no little measure left the oil rich Niger Delta as one of the most improverished regions in the country.

Massive unemployment is just one of the manifestations that have so far spiraled into producing other social vices. Many of the attacks occur on the high seas as ships approach Nigerian waters. An equally of criminal activities including sea robbery.

Industry analysts blamed this attitude to corruption and mismanagement which has lingered successively by the Nigerian administrations, has in no little measure left the oil rich Niger Delta as one of the most impoverished regions in the country. Massive unemployment is just one of the manifestations that have so far spiraled into producing other social vices.

Many of the attacks occure on the high seas as ships approach Nigerian waters. An equally large number of attacks occur within Nigerian waters as well, eliciting a wave of complaints from ship captains.

The IMB said it hard issued a warning to ships in the Vicinity of Nigeria and advised sea farers to be on their guard even as it further declared the nation’s terminals and waters as one of the most unsafe in Africa.

Already the bureau has warned any vessel that come into the Nigerian waters to be way of attack. Recently pirates attacked some fishing trawlers and killed some sailors on boards.
Marines are frequently being warned to be extra cautions and to take necessary precautionary measures when transitting certain areas, which include Nigeria.

During vessels stay in Nigerian waters, masters are always advised to remain vigilant, because other vessels at berth, anchorage and carry out this operation have reported boarding and violent attacks on crew.

The warnings go further to say the presence of police hardly deter the robbers, while calls to the ports control fall on deaf ears.A martime groups noted that security problems on land were diverting the resources of the authiorities from security at sea.

They believe the increased ferocity and number of attack is linked to law and order problems ashore which criminal gangs of pirates are using to their advantage, knowing that the authorities are under pressure to tackle the security problems in the hinterlands, and so unable to respond adequately to attack at sea.

Pirates are violent and have attacked and robbed vessels, kidnapped crews on the coast ports. While many attacks go unreported a total of 42 incidents have been reported since March 2007. Twenty five attacks alone for Lagos and seven for Bonny River.

A sailor Adams James who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, stated that the pirates are dangerous. “They are very dangerous. They always operate with automatic weapons, to stop ships and most times they use Rocket propelled Grenade (RPG) to launchers at ships. They usually target the most vulnerable vessels like the shipping trawlers; he said.

But the Nigerian Security forces said they are really doing their best to track down. These sea robbers “our presence have cracked down, the pirates activities. There would have been a higher piracy death rolls if not, for our intervensions.”

The Nigerian Navy have been taking the problem of piracy seriously but like most African fleets has limited resources to cope with the problem, and the profit of more than a decade from stealing from the oil industry have helped arm gangs with heavy weapons, and the navey often find itself out gunned.

On this the travelers owners association said the association and the Navy Patrol team were not well equipped to confront pirates who carry sophisticated weapons.

“The pirates usually hijack trawlers in the high sea, dispossess them of their valuables and in most cases kill them.The minister of state for water transportation, Prince Emeka Okechukwu, have some time ago re-visited the issue of patrol of the territorial water and surveillance, and promised to take appropriate actions.

Saatnya Mewujudkan Negara Kepulauan Indonesia

"UUD 1945 Pasal 25E telah mengamantkan bahwa Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia adalah sebuah negara kepulauan yang berciri nusantara dengan wilayah yang batas-batas dan hak-haknya ditetapkan dengan undang-undang"
”Untuk membangun Indonesia menjadi negara besar, negara kuat, negara makmur, negara damai yang merupakan National Building bagi negara Indonesia, maka negara dapat menjadi kuat jika dapat menguasai lautan. Untuk menguasai lautan, kita harus menguasai armada yang seimbang.” (Pidato Bung Karno yang disampaikan dalam National Maritime Convention I tahun 1963)