Storms keep fishermen on land: Coastal communities from Maluku to Riau fight to stay alive

Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—The long-lasting severe weather has affected all of Indonesia’s coastal areas, keeping thousands of fishermen on land and cutting off their main source of revenue.

The Indonesian Traditional Fishermen’s Association (KNTI) Ternate Secretary in North Maluku, Gafur Kaboli, said that strong winds, heavy rain, and high waves have made it difficult for tuna fishermen to do their jobs for almost two months.

“Tuna fishermen have struggled to reach the sea for nearly two months. None of them went out at all last week,” Gafur added.

Fishermen in Central Maluku and South Halmahera have been in similar situations, where strong waves are still a major safety danger.

KNTI chairman Hariyanto noted that small fishermen in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands, can only fish near shorelines or in rivers when the winds come from the north.

“Sometimes they catch fish, and other times they come back empty-handed. This uncertainty hurts small fishermen the most,” Hariyanto added.

In Pasangkayu Regency, West Sulawesi, KNTI said that one fisherman went missing after being washed away by strong currents while trying to go to sea during bad weather.

The head of Pasangkayu KNTI, Abdul Razak, said that many fishermen go out of desperation to get money, even though the hazards are very severe.

KNTI said that these events show how weak coastal communities are when the weather is unstable and called for quick action to stop more deaths.