Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/15/2010 11:04 AM
Hundreds of fishermen in Marunda, Cilincing, North Jakarta, are facing doubtful job prospects.
They can no longer rely on their skills as heavy pollution at Jakarta Bay has been said to make it hard to catch fish for a living.
Along with possibly losing a reliable source of income, they are facing the threat of losing their homes since the city administration has said it plans to clear the coastal area where the squatters have been living for years to make way for other industries.
“Several months ago, we could not fish due to heavy pollution of the water,” fisherman Ngkim told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old Ngkim said he did not know where the pollution came from. He only knew that the pollution prevented him from catching fish.
Jakarta Bay, where 13 rivers dissect, has long been known as a dump site for the city as people throw out household trash into rivers.
Many industrial plants have also been reportedly dumping their unprocessed and toxic waste into rivers.
Ismail, another squatter, said many of his neighbors gave up their fisherman jobs and turned to informal jobs.
“Heavy pollution has significantly reduced our income. Many of us are now plant workers or have opened small cigarette stalls,” said the 49-year-old former fisherman, who worked for one year at a shipping company nearby and is now an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver.
Pollution is not the only behemoth that impacts one fishermen as the administration plans to transform the area into a logistics hub under the US$2 billion Special Economic Zone project.
Deputy Governor Prijanto said earlier his administration would employ local residents as workers in the project.
Ngkim said he had no idea on how he would earn money for his family if he was evicted from the area because the only skill he possessed was fishing.
“Even though the administration said it would employ locals, what can I do? I am illiterate and I am getting older,” said the father of six.
“I don’t think there will be positions for [unskilled] people like me.”
