Ministry to focus on minapolitan project

Antara News, Thursday, January 6, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is to focus on development of Minapolitan areas (fisheries cities) in 41 Indonesian regions this year.

"In 2011, the ministry is to focus on formation of Minapolitan areas consisting of nine fishing based sites, 24 aquaculture sites, and eight central salt sites," said Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad during the ministry`s 2011 outlook meeting here Wednesday.

The nine fishing based sites are located in Pelabuhan Ratu, Tamperan Muncar Ternate, Sungai Liat Nusantara Fishery Ports (PPN), Cilacap Bitung, Belawan and Ambon Ocean Fishery Ports (PPS).

The other 24 pilot aquaculture based Minapolitan are located inMuoro Jambi, Kampar, Bogor, Banyumas, Blitar, Gunung Kidul, Morowali, Sumbawa, Sumba Timur, Banjar, Pohuwato, Boyolali, Klaten, Gresik, Lamongan, Serang, Maros, Pangkep, Pesawaran, Bintan, Bangli, Musi Rawas, Pandeglang and Kapuas.

And for the eight salt centers are located in Cirebon, Indramayu, Rembang, Pati, Pamekasan, Sampang, Sumenep, and Nagakeo.

Besides the ministry is also designing a Mega-Minapolitan project in Morotai, North Maluku, in which Taiwan reportedly is interested in developing the island as the center of the largest fisheries for aquaculture and fisheries.

Mega-Minapolitan project is a large scaled Minapolitan where  Major investors will get a number of conveniences and amenities.

Apart from the Minapolitan project, National Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) self marine and fisheries dependent through the Rural Business Development Mina (PUMP), People`s Salt Business Development Salt (PUGR), and peoples micro credit (KUR).

Ministry has also set their 2011 marine and fisheries sector development goal such as to contribute 3.5 percent fishery for the national GDP, 12.26 million tones fishery production (5.41 million tons of fishing and 6.85 million tons of cultivation), and the 3.2 billion US dollars value of fishery exports

Another target is to have 449 units of certified Fish Processing Units (UPI), 112 fishermen exchange values (NTN), 0.9 million hectares of sea and waters conservation area, to manage some 30 outermost small islands, and 75 percent of free illegal fisheries management areas.

Half of Bengkulu`s coral reefs damaged by fish trawls

Antara News, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - About 40 to 50 percent of Bengkulu province`s coral reefs have been damaged by trawls used by fishermen to catch fish, a local fisheries official said.

"The condition of coral reefs along the coast from Kaur to Mukomuko districts has deteriorated so much dues to the use of trawls by fishermen." Bismalinda, head of Bengkulu`s marine and fisheries office, said here Tuesday.

Most local fishermen were not aware of the adverse consequences of the use of trawls for the marine ecosystem, he said.

The damaging process had been going on for a long time and repairing it would take decades. Meanwhile, the degraded condition of the coral reefs had reduced fish` hauls, especially hauls of reef fish and lobsters along the Bengkulu coasts, he added.

The situation was currently being compounded by uncertain weather conditions which further depressed fishermen`s income, he said,

Coral reef damage was also caused by the use of explosives by the fishermen. The practice killed not only big but also small fishes.

Nowadays, he added, it was difficult for fishermen to catch fish near the coastline and they had to go farther out to sea to get fish while their boats could not do that.

To overcome the problem, local fisheries authorities were continuously informing fishermen of the hazards of using trawls and dynamite to catch fish, he said.

The government was making serious efforts to conserve and rehabilitate the coral reefs but they would succeed only with the participation and awareness of the people to preserve the ecosystem of coral reefs, he said.

Stone Age tools found in Crete prove man sailed the sea at least 130,000 years ago

Daily Mail, By DAILY MAIL REPORTER, 4th January 2011

Archaeologists have discovered a set of tools they believe prove that man sailed the sea tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.

Discovery: Archaeologists in Crete have found
tools they believe prove man sailed the sea tens of
thousands of years earlier than previously thought

Rough axes and other tools thought to be between 130,000 and 700,000 years old were found close to shelters on the south coast of the Mediterranean island of Crete.

Crete has been separated from the mainland of Greece for about five million years, so whoever made the tools must have travelled there by sea, a distance of at least 40 miles.

The previous earliest evidence was of sea travel was 60,000 years ago; in Greece it was 11,000 years ago.

The findings upset the current view that human ancestors migrated to Europe from Africa by land alone.

The Greek Culture Ministry said in a statement yesterday: 'The results of the survey not only provide evidence of sea voyages in the Mediterranean tens of thousands of years earlier than we were aware of so far, but also change our understanding of early hominids' cognitive abilities.'

The previous earliest evidence of open-sea travel in Greece dates back 11,000 years.

The tools were found during a survey of caves and rock shelters near the village of Plakias by archaeologists from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Culture Ministry.

Such rough stone implements are associated with Heidelberg Man and Homo Erectus, extinct precursors of the modern human race, which evolved from Africa about 200,000 years ago.

Rough axes and other tools thought to be between 130,000 and 700,000 years old were found
close to shelters near the village of Plakias on the south coast of the Mediterranean island

Significant: The previous earliest evidence of sea travel was 60,000 years ago, so the findings
upset the current view that human ancestors migrated to Europe from Africa by land alone

Maria Vlazaki, senior ministry archaeologist, said: 'Up to now we had no proof of Early Stone Age presence on Crete.'

She said it was unclear where the hominids had sailed from, or whether the settlements were permanent.

'They may have come from Africa or from the east,' she said. 'Future study should help.'

The team of archaeologists has applied for permission to conduct a more thorough excavation of the area, which Greek authorities are expected to approve later this year.

Picturesque: Preveli Beach is one of two locations on Crete where the chiseled shards
were found

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