tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91597502487777599892024-03-08T10:55:38.949+07:00MANCING FISHINGPemancing mencintai dan memelihara kelestarian alam yang memberi aneka ragam ikan. Pemancing menjaga sungai, rawa, situ, danau, laut dan lingkungan dari tindakan pengrusakan.Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-43438710463065213602008-04-29T08:48:00.002+07:002008-04-29T08:51:52.735+07:00Ekodrainase<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Konsep Ekodrainase sebagai Pengganti Drainase Konvensional</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">SUNGGUH sangat merisaukan jika kita mengevaluasi konsep drainase yang diterapkan di seluruh pelosok Tanah Air saat ini. Konsep yang dipakai adalah konsep drainase konvensional, yaitu drainase "pengatusan kawasan". Drainase konvensional adalah upaya membuang atau mengalirkan air kelebihan secepat-cepatnya ke sungai terdekat. Konsep ini sejak tahun 1970-an sampai sekarang hampir tidak berubah dan terus diajarkan di seluruh perguruan tinggi di Indonesia dan sebagai konsep dasar yang digunakan para praktisi dalam pembuatan Masterplan Drainase di seluruh kota besar dan kecil di Indonesia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">DALAM konsep drainase konvensional, seluruh air hujan yang jatuh ke di suatu wilayah harus secepat-cepatnya dibuang ke sungai dan seterusnya mengalir ke laut. Jika hal ini dilakukan pada semua kawasan, akan memunculkan berbagai masalah, baik di daerah hulu, tengah, maupun hilir.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dan ternyata, bahwa konsep drainase konvensional ini di Indonesia tidak hanya dipakai untuk men-drain areal permukiman, namun digunakan secara menyeluruh termasuk untuk men-drain kawasan pedesaan, lahan pertanian dan perkebunan, kawasan olahraga, wisata, dan lain sebagainya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Drainase konvensional untuk permukiman atau perkotaan dibuat dengan cara membuat saluran-saluran lurus terpendek menuju sungai guna mengatuskan kawasan tersebut secepatnya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Seluruh air hujan diupayakan sesegera mungkin mengalir langsung ke sungai terdekat. Pada areal pertanian dan perkebunan biasanya dibangun saluran drainase air hujan menyusuri lembah memotong garis kontur dengan kemiringan terjal. Pada saat hujan, saluran drainase ini berfungsi mengatuskan kawasan pertanian dan perkebunan dan langsung dialirkan ke sungai.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Demikian juga di areal wisata dan olahraga, semua saluran drainase didesain sedemikian rupa sehingga air mengalir secepatnya ke sungai terdekat. Orang sama sekali tidak berpikir apa yang akan terjadi di bagian hilir, jika semua air hujan dialirkan secepat-cepatnya ke sungai tanpa diupayakan agar air mempunyai waktu cukup untuk meresap ke dalam tanah (lihat Gambar A, kesalahan drainase konvensional).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dampak dari pemakaian konsep drainase konvensional tersebut dapat kita lihat sekarang ini, yaitu kekeringan yang terjadi di mana-mana, juga banjir, longsor, dan pelumpuran.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Termasuk juga surutnya sungai-sungai di luar Jawa saat ini, hingga menyebabkan transportasi sungai sangat selalu terganggu. Tentu saja ada sebab-sebab selain drainase, misalnya, penggundulan hutan, namun kesalahan konsep drainase yang kita pakai sekarang ini merupakan penyumbang bencana kekeringan, banjir, dan longsor yang cukup signifikan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kesalahan konsep drainase konvensional yang paling pokok adalah filosofi membuang air genangan secepat-cepatnya ke sungai. Dengan demikian, sungai-sungai akan menerima beban yang melampaui kapasitasnya, sehingga meluap atau terjadi banjir, contoh, banjir-banjir di Jakarta, Semarang, Bandung, Riau, Samarinda, dan lain-lain. Demikian juga mengalirkan air secepatnya berarti pengatusan kawasan atau menurunkan kesempatan bagi air untuk meresap ke dalam tanah.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dengan demikian, cadangan air tanah akan berkurang, kekeringan di musim kemarau akan terjadi. Dalam konteks inilah pemahaman bahwa banjir dan kekeringan merupakan dua fenomena yang saling memperparah secara susul-menyusul dapat dengan mudah dimengerti.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sangat ironis bahwa semakin baik drainase konvensional di suatu kawasan aliran sungai, maka kejadian banjir di musim hujan dan kekeringan di musim kemarau akan semakin intensif silih berganti.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dampak selanjutnya adalah kerusakan ekosistem, perubahan iklim mikro dan makro disertai tanah longsor di berbagai tempat yang disebabkan oleh fluktuasi kandungan air tanah musim kering dan musim basah yang sangat tinggi.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">JIKA kesalahan konsep dan implementasi drainase yang selama ini kita lakukan ini tidak diadakan revisi, usaha apa pun yang kita lakukan untuk menanggulangi banjir, kekeringan lahan, dan longsor, akan sia-sia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dalam tulisan ini akan diketengahkan konsep drainase baru yang biasa disebut drainase ramah lingkungan atau ekodrainase yang sekarang ini sedang menjadi konsep utama di dunia internasional dan merupakan implementasi pemahaman baru konsep ekohidraulik dalam bidang drainase.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Drainase ramah lingkungan didefinisikan sebagai upaya mengelola air kelebihan dengan cara sebesar-besarnya diresapkan ke dalam tanah secara alamiah atau mengalirkan ke sungai dengan tanpa melampaui kapasitas sungai sebelumnya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dalam drainase ramah lingkungan, justru air kelebihan pada musim hujan harus dikelola sedemikian sehingga tidak mengalir secepatnya ke sungai. Namun diusahakan meresap ke dalam tanah, guna meningkatkan kandungan air tanah untuk cadangan pada musim kemarau. Konsep ini sifatnya mutlak di daerah beriklim tropis dengan perbedaan musim hujan dan kemarau yang ekstrem seperti di Indonesia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Berikut ini diketengahkan beberapa metode drainase ramah lingkungan yang dapat dipakai di Indonesia, di antaranya adalah metode kolam konservasi, metode sumur resapan, metode river side polder, dan metode pengembangan ereal perlindungan air tanah (ground water protection area).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Metode kolam konservasi (lihat Gambar B) dilakukan dengan membuat kolam-kolam air, baik di perkotaan, permukiman, pertanian, atau perkebunan. Kolam konservasi ini dibuat untuk menampung air hujan terlebih dahulu, diresapkan dan sisanya dapat dialirkan ke sungai secara perlahan-lahan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kolam konservasi dapat dibuat dengan memanfaatkan daerah-daerah dengan topografi rendah, daerah-daerah bekas galian pasir atau galian material lainnya, atau secara ekstra dibuat dengan menggali suatu areal atau bagian tertentu.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kolam konservasi juga sangat menguntungkan jika dikaitkan dengan kebutuhan rekreasi masyarakat. Misalnya pada pembangunan real estat, pemerintah dapat mewajibkan pengelola real estat untuk membangun kolam konservasi air hujan di lokasi perumahan, sekaligus ditata sebagai areal rekreasi bagi masyarakat perumahan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Di samping itu, kolam konservasi dapat dikembangkan menjadi bak-bak permanen air hujan, khususnya di daerah-daerah dengan intensitas hujan yang rendah. Kota-kota dan kawasan luar kota di Indonesia perlu segera membangun kolam-kolam konservasi air hujan ini. Sangat disayangkan, bahwa perkembangan yang ada di Indonesia sekarang ini justru masyarakat dan pemerintah berlomba mempersempit atau bahkan menutup kolam konservasi alamiah yang ada (rawa, situ, danau kecil, telaga, dan lain-lain). Banyak kolam-kolam konservasi alamiah dalam sepuluh tahun terakhir ini hilang dan berubah fungsi menjadi areal permukiman, contohnya di Jakarta, Bandung, dan lain-lain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Untuk areal pertanian dan perkebunan sudah mendesak, untuk segera direncanakan dan dibuat parit-parit (kolam) konservasi air hujan. Parit ini sangat penting untuk cadangan air musim kemarau sekaligus meningkatkan konservasi air hujan di daerah hulu, serta meningkatkan daya dukung ekologi daerah setempat. Konstruksi parit cukup sederhana, berupa galian tanah memanjang atau membujur di beberapa tempat tanpa pasangan. Pada parit tersebut sekaligus bisa dijadikan tempat budidaya ikan dan lain-lain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Metode sumur resapan merupakan metode praktis dengan cara membuat sumur-sumur untuk mengalirkan air hujan yang jatuh pada atap perumahan atau kawasan tertentu (Dr Sunjoto, UGM). Sumur resapan ini juga dapat dikembangkan pada areal olahraga dan wisata. Konstruksi dan kedalaman sumur resapan disesuaikan dengan kondisi lapisan tanah setempat. Perlu dicatat bahwa sumur resapan ini hanya dikhususkan untuk air hujan, sehingga masyarakat harus mendapatkan pemahaman mendetail untuk tidak memasukkan air limbah rumah tangganya ke sumur resapan tersebut.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">METODE river side polder (lihat Gambar C) adalah metode menahan aliran air dengan mengelola/menahan air kelebihan (hujan) di sepanjang bantaran sungai. Pembuatan polder pinggir sungai ini dilakukan dengan memperlebar bantaran sungai di berbagai tempat secara selektif di sepanjang sungai.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Lokasi polder perlu dicari, sejauh mungkin polder yang dikembangkan mendekati kondisi alamiah, dalam arti bukan polder dengan pintu-pintu hidraulik teknis dan tanggul-tanggul lingkar hidraulis yang mahal. Pada saat muka air naik (banjir), sebagian air akan mengalir ke polder dan akan keluar jika banjir reda, sehingga banjir di bagian hilir dapat dikurangi dan konservasi air terjaga.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Upaya ini sedang dilakukan di Jepang dan Jerman secara besar-besaran, sebagai upaya menahan air untuk konservasi sungai musim kemarau dan menghindari banjir serta meningkatkan daya dukung ekologi wilayah keairan. Metode ini dapat diusulkan untuk mengurangi banjir di kota-kota besar yang terletak di hilir sungai seperti Kota Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan Samarinda, dan lain-lain. Demikian juga dapat meningkatkan pasokan air sungai musim kemarau untuk mendukung transportasi sungai atau pertanian.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Metode areal perlindungan air tanah dilakukan dengan cara menetapkan kawasan lindung untuk air tanah, di mana di kawasan tersebut tidak boleh dibangun bangunan apa pun. Areal tersebut dikhususkan untuk meresapkan air hujan ke dalam tanah.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Di berbagai kawasan perlu sesegara mungkin dicari tempat-tempat yang cocok secara geologi dan ekologi sebagai areal untuk recharge dan perlindungan air tanah sekaligus sebagai bagian penting dari komponen drainase kawasan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Konsep drainase ramah lingkungan atau ekodrainase ini perlu mendapat perhatian yang serius dari pemerintah. Kesalahan pemahaman masyarakat, dinas terkait, dan perguruan tinggi tentang filosofi konsep drainase, yaitu membuang air secepat-cepatnya ke sungai, perlu segera direvisi dan diluruskan secara serius. Perlu pembenahan dan revisi bangunan drainase permukiman, tempat olahraga dan rekreasi, pertanian dan perkebunan dengan konsep drainase ramah lingkungan. Tampaknya perlu studi khusus untuk menemukan kembali konsep drainase ramah lingkungan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Penulis: Dr Ing Ir Agus Maryono, Peneliti Pusat Studi Transportasi dan Logistik UGM</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">URL Source: http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0309/26/opini/584210.htm</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Keterangan Artikel</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sumber: Kompas</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Tanggal: 26 Sep 03</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Catatan: -</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-82776299839638135352007-10-19T08:20:00.000+07:002007-10-19T08:40:02.824+07:00Indonesia Sea Fest '07 (21 - 25 November 2007)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://us.f311.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download/us/ShowLetter?box=Planet%20Indonesia&MsgId=652_0_16323_2853_177245_0_26873_255527_3153055149_oSObkYn4Ur5HQVz2mWzmsVyWHIjqHw3pzRA3uF88VyKzv7kI3qGfF1GPo8CfyLPAkFPHQr0wktlZ_XwzTdnwoiqfwq3ow2XMYVAnfuiuvzIwPpl.Jvb1iaAo8ZpqNj9Pq4QKcQFUh3e4E8B4A8be0EScgQXXSRl0IEM-&bodyPart=2&YY=70698&y5beta=yes&order=&sort=&pos=0&Idx=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://us.f311.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download/us/ShowLetter?box=Planet%20Indonesia&MsgId=652_0_16323_2853_177245_0_26873_255527_3153055149_oSObkYn4Ur5HQVz2mWzmsVyWHIjqHw3pzRA3uF88VyKzv7kI3qGfF1GPo8CfyLPAkFPHQr0wktlZ_XwzTdnwoiqfwq3ow2XMYVAnfuiuvzIwPpl.Jvb1iaAo8ZpqNj9Pq4QKcQFUh3e4E8B4A8be0EScgQXXSRl0IEM-&bodyPart=2&YY=70698&y5beta=yes&order=&sort=&pos=0&Idx=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Background</span></span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Indonesia merupakan negara kepulauan (Archipelagic State) yang terdiri dari sekitar 17.504 pulau dengan luas laut sekitar 5,8 juta km2 dan bentang garis pantai sepanjang 95.181 km.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sebagian besar dari pulau-pulau tersebut merupakan pulau-pulau kecil yang memiliki kekayaan sumberdaya alam dan jasa-jasa lingkungan yang sangat besar dan potensial untuk pembangunan ekonomi. Dengan kata lain, sudah sewajarnyalah sektor kelautan menyumbang pendapatan terbesar di Indonesia.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Tetapi hal ini bertolak belakang dengan kenyataan yang ada, para pelaku ekonomi yang menggantungkan hidupnya dari kekayaan laut hanya sebagian kecil saja yang dapat hidup dengan layak, dan sebagian besar lainnya masih hidup dibawah garis kemiskinan.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Hal inilah yang menggerakkan kami untuk berbuat 'sesuatu' guna melestarikan dan mengembangkan sektor kelautan di Indonesia.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Objectives</span></span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Mengajak peran serta masyarakat baik yang sudah berkecimpung maupun yang akan dan belum pernah berkecimpung di sektor kelautan untuk mengetahui lebih dalam mengenai seluk beluk ilmu kelautan dan teknologi perangkat pendukungnya dengan menggunakan ajang pameran dan diskusi terbuka.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dengan semakin tingginya peran serta masyarakat, maka diharapkan akan semakin meningkatkan perhatian masyarakat tentang kelautan dan perekonomian para pelaku ekonomi sektor kelautan.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Selain itu partisipasi anak-anak dan generasi muda juga sangat diharapkan sebagai generasi penerus yang perduli akan alam dan kelanjutan kehidupan ekosistim alam yang berkelanjutan.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Bersamaan dengan ajang ini, Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan Indonesia akan menetapkan tahun 2007 sebagai "Tahun Bahari Indonesia" dan peringatan "50 tahun Deklarasi Juanda" tentang Konsepsi Negara Kepulauan.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Concept</span><br /></span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Secara umum, ajang pameran atau expo yang diminati masyarakat kebanyakan adalah ajang pameran yang menampilkan sisi hiburan dan kecanggihan teknologi.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Hal inilah yang akan disajikan pada gelaran Indonesia Seafest 2007. Suatu gelaran akbar yang sarat hiburan dan kecanggihan teknologi dengan misi sosialisasi dan edukasi kehidupan bahari di Indonesia.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Pada Indonesia Seafest 2007 audience akan kami ajak menjelajah dunia lain, suatu dunia kecil yang berisi 8 lokasi tematis, mulai dari Kampung Nelayan, Negeri Air, Jaga Laut, Wisata Bahari, Jelajah Nusantara, Dermaga, Anak Pantai, Pasar Ikan dan panggung utama. Masing-masing lokasi tematis akan dilengkapi tenda raksasa dan menggunakan bridge tematis sebagai penghubungnya, sehingga peserta tidak akan merasakan perubahan yang dratis pada saat berpindah dari satu lokasi ke lokasi lainnya.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Audience akan dibawa merasakan suasana kelautan, terdapat boat atau yacht yang sesungguhnya, pasar seafood dimana ikan segar yang dipotong, dibersihkan dan dimasak di hadapan mereka, serta berbagai acara yang bersifat mendidik sekaligus menghibur (edutainment) dengan hadirnya artis-artis Ibukota seperti Republik Mimpi (tentative) dan khusus untuk audience anak-anak akan hadirnya beragam permainan dan hiburan seperti mini hovercraft, koleksi ikan Sea World Indonesia (tentative) dan masih banyak lagi.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Time & Place</span></span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Waktu </span>:</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> 5 hari berturut-turut kegiatan pada tanggal 21 - 25 November 2007, mulai pukul 09.00 s/d 21.00 BBWI</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Tempat:</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Parkir Timur Gelora Bung Karno dengan luas area yang digunakan 18.000 m2.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Lokasi ini dipilih karena letaknya yang berada di tengah kota dan dengan mudah dicapai oleh audience.</span><br /></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">More Details</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" > Our Audiences</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Keluarga Indonesia yang aktif dan dinamis serta ingin mengetahui lebih dalam mengenai sektor kelautan di Indonesia tanpa melihat skala ekonomi dan umur</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lokasi Tematis</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Setiap lokasi tematis akan dilengkapi dengan mini stage untuk memfasilitasi peserta yang ingin melakukan demo atau presentasi produk, selain itu setiap lokasi tematis juga akan dilengkapi dengan private meeting room yang dapat digunakan oleh setiap peserta yang ingin melakukan negosiasi bisnis dengan lebih privat.</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">thematic 1... Kampung Nelayan</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Di dalamnya terdiri dari bidang usaha perikanan budidaya laut dan air tawar. Kegiatan perikanan tangkap dari mulai nelayan tradisional sampai kepada pengusaha perikanan modern dan sarananya, pengembangan usaha, kelompok usaha kecil (UKM) dan aiat-alat pendukung usaha perikanan, alat bantu perikanan, dan fainnya termasuk juga sosialisasi tentang peraturan/kebijakan pemerintah yang berhubungan dengan kegiatan tersebut.</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan (DirJen Budidaya, DirJen Perikanan Tangkap),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kementerian Koperasi dan UKM (sektor nelayan),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan perikanan berikut perlengkapan pendukungnya,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kelompok nelayan dan usaha kecil, Bank Nasional maupun swasta.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> thematic 2... Negeri Air</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Suasana di dalam pameran ini merupakan usaha dan kegiatan pantai dan pesisir, yang merupakan bagian dari usaha penyeiamatan juga rehabtfitasi terumbu karang, mangrove, estuaria dan sosialisasi kebijakan pemerintah tentang hal tersebut Didalamnya juga termasuk pameran tentang keindahan bahari, budaya asli yang berhubungan dengan pelestarian lingkungan laut dan usaha penyeiamatan keanekaragaman hayati laut serta pulau-pulau terluar yang berbatasan dengan negara tetangga dan usaha yang terkait.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan (DirJen Pesisir dan pulau-pulau kecil),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">DirJen Pengendalian Sumber Daya Kelautan dan Perikanan,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Badan Riset Kelautan dan Perikanan DKP),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kementerian Budaya dan Pariwisata</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan atau perorangan yang melakukan usaha budidaya ikan hias (aqua culture) dan</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kelompok atau perorangan yang bergerak dalam pelestarian lingkungan laut dan pendukungnya. </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 3... Jaga Laut</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Diikuti oleh institusi yang berhubungan dengan patroii dan pengawasan taut nusantara, diantaranya Angkatan Laut, Poiisi Air, Bea cukai, dan juga Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan. Perusahaan swasta dan BUMN yang memproduksi / suplier perlengkapan dan alat yang berhubungan dengan hal tersebut, termasuk didalamnya adalah institusi pendidikan yang berhubungan dengan kelautan dan juga penemuan alat atau produk yang dapat membantu sektor kelautan dan perikanan pada umumnya. Tidak terlepas juga diikuti oleh organisasi, kelompok atau perorangan yang peduli akan bahari.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Angkatan Laut Republik Indonesia, Poiisi Air, Bea Cukai, lembaga penelitian (BPPT, LIPI, BMG),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan yang meriset dan memproduksi bangunan tahan gempa,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan swasta atau BUMN yang bergerak dalam eksplorasi minyak dan tambang lepas pantai,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan atau suplier yang mendukung institusi diatas dalam perlengkapannya (life jacket, radar,GPS, simulator, dll),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Institusi pendidikan yang meriset alat atau sarana yang dapat memberikan sumbangan teknologi dalam pengembangan kelautan dan kelompok atau perorangan yang peduli tentang lingkungan laut.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 4... Wisata Bahari</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> <br />Dalam kelompok ini diikuti antara lain pengembang, hotel dan resort yang menggunakan kawasan laut dan pantai sebagai kawasan bisnisnya, hobi bahari antara lain diving club, fishing club, jet ski, dll berikut perlengkapannya, dan juga keterlibatan institusi pemerintah yang terkait.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kementerian Budaya dan Pariwisata.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Departemaen Kelautan dan Perikanan, Hotel dan Resort yang berada dilingkungan laut</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Pengembang yang berada di lingkungan laut, swasta nasional maupun internasional yang bergerak dalam bidang kepariwisataan bahari.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Komunitas bahari (Jet Ski, Diving, Layar, Boating, dll), perusahaan yang bergerak atau distributor alat pendukung komunitas bahari, alat-alat dan usaha lainnya yang mendukung pengembangan usaha ecotourism.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 5... Nusantara</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span><br />Peserta pameran diikuti oleh pemerintah daerah tingkat satu dan tingkat dua yang memiliki usaha, program dan pengembangan dibidang kelautan dan perikanan serta hasil produksinya.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Pemerintah daerah tingkat satu dan tingkat dua,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Bank nasional maupun swasta atau lembaga keuangan lainnya dan,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Lembaga perdagangan atau kadin negar tetangga.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 6... Dermaga</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Pameran diikuti oleh perusahaan galangan kapal, pembuat kapal dan mesin-mesin perkapalan, operator kapal komersil, otorita pelabuhan, operator pengusaha kapal penyewaan dan teknologi yang berhubungan dengan ranc bangun perkapalan.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari</span>:<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Galangan kapal dan pembuat kapal nasional maupun internasional,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Operator dan perusahaan kapal penyewaan nasional maupun internasional</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Operator dan perusahaan kapal penumpang,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Bank nasional maupun swasta atau lembaga keuangan lainnya,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan mesin perkapalan dan mesin lainnya,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Otorita pelabuhan, operator kapal komersil,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Institusi pendidikan perkapalan,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Alat atau teknologi yang berhubungan dengan rancang bangun perkapalan</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 7... Anak Pantai</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Didalamnya ditampiikan suasana laut dan pantai dengan segala isi dan keaneka ragamannya, sebagai tempat belajar dan bermain anak, tujuannya mengajak anak-anak untuk mengenal lebih dalam tentang bahari dengan mendengarkan dongeng laut dari selebriti, melihat film tentang keindahan bahari Nusantara, dan kegiatan lainnya yang akan memberikan nuansa lain dari pameran ini.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari :</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Lembaga atau badan usaha yang bergerak dalam bidang edukasi bahari untuk anak-anak (Sea World Indonesia, Disney Indonesia, dll),</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Institusi pendidikan dan</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Stasiun televisi daerah, nasional dan internasional.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >thematic 8... Pasar Ikan</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Pesertanya adalah restoran, rumah makan, kelompok usaha yang bergerak dalam penjualan hasil laut, produk dart hasil perikanan, pengusaha produk olahan hasil laut dan pendukung lainnya, termasuk demo masak dan kegiatan pengolahan.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Peserta terdiri dari:</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Restoran,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Rumah makan,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan yang menjual hasil laut,</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Perusahaan yang bergerak dalam industri pengolahan hasil laut dan perusahaan alat pendukung lainnya. </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > Main Stage</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Sebuah pameran akan terasa lebih hidup apabila dilengkapi dengan acara hiburan. Hiburan ini akan dimeriahkan dengan penampilan beberapa artis yang diarahkan sebagai tim yang akan mengkampanyekan laut sebagai sesuatu yang hams dijaga dan dipelihara. Acara ini dibuat agar dapat menarik perhatian para pengunjung, seperti talk show, operet, dll. Untuk itu dibuat suatu panggung yang berfungsi sebagai wadah promosi dari partisipan maupun sponsor yang dapat mensukseskan ajang Indonesia SeaFest. Panggung utama ini dibuat untuk melengkapi panggung-panggung kecil yang berada di 8 thematic sektor yang ada.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Indonesia Seafest yang terdiri dari 8 thematic sektor merupakan satu kesatuan yang tidak dapat dipisahkan, karena masing-masing sektor saling berhubungan, dan menjadi suatu rangkaian yang terhubung dengan lorong-lorong yang akan membawa para pengunjung tenggelam dalam suasana serta aktivitas laut dengan menggunakan teknologi multimedia dan disain grafis, sehingga masing-masing sektor akan terlihat sangat menarik dan interaktif. </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Final Words</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Pelaksanaan pengelolaan sumberdaya alam khususnya kelautan perlu dilakukan dengan bijaksana dan penuh kehati-hatian dalam rangka mendukung perwujudan tujuan pembangunan secara berkelanjutan dan berwawasan lingkungan yaitu dengan</span><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Peningkatan peran serta masyarakat dalam Pelestarian & Pengembangan Kelautan Indonesia</span></span></span></div>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-21255589710278680462007-10-08T13:16:00.000+07:002007-10-08T13:21:28.634+07:00Hobi dan Komunitas Pemancing Ikan<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Kompas, 31 Oktober 2000</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Bambang Setiawan</span> </span> </span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0010/31/ekonomi/3010ha26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0010/31/ekonomi/3010ha26.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Barangkali generasi tua dulu sulit membayangkan bagaimana hobi mancing bisa menjadi sebuah bisnis yang sangat menguntungkan. Tetapi inilah kenyataan, sekarang hobi ini telah berkembang sedemikian rupa hingga mulai banyak dilirik sebagai lahan mencari keuntungan yang lumayan.<br /><br />Tengoklah kolam-kolam pemancingan yang semakin hari semakin banyak bertumbuhan di pusat-pusat kota dan pinggiran, yang setiap Sabtu dan Minggu selalu ramai dikunjungi oleh pecandu mancing.<br /><br />Toko-toko pancing semakin banyak dijumpai di pinggiran kota, bahkan terkadang bisa dijumpai di keramaian pedagang kaki lima, seolah menjual peralatan pancing sama untungnya dengan menjual pakaian atau peralatan rumah tangga lainnya.<br /><br />Kalau pemancing tradisional zaman dulu cukup bermodalkan joran bambu, kenur, dan mata kail, pemancing modern sudah menggunakan peralatan yang jauh lebih canggih.<br /><br />Untuk penggulung tidak lagi menggunakan gulungan kayu berbentuk seperti yoyo, tetapi menggunakan reel yang dibeli di toko-toko khusus peralatan pancing. Bentuk dan harganya pun bervariasi, dari yang puluhan ribu rupiah hingga puluhan juta rupiah.<br /><br />Para pemancing modern, apalagi yang profesional, sudah semakin membedakan antara mancing di air tawar dan mancing di laut. Di laut pun terdapat variasi pemakaian, reel yang dipakai di pinggir dengan yang dipakai di laut dalam. Dan, di laut dalam pun masih dibedakan antara reel yang dipakai untuk mancing dasar dan yang dipergunakan untuk menonda (trolling, memancing sambil melajukan perahu).<br /><br />Demikian juga dengan joran, di samping variasi harga dan pemakaian, bahan yang dipergunakan semakin bervariasi, mulai dari fiberglass, grafit, fibercarbon hingga boron.<br /><br />Di Jakarta, kapal-kapal khusus mancing juga semakin banyak jumlahnya. Kalau kita lihat di Marina Ancol, deretan kapal mancing hampir memenuhi pelabuhan pesiar ini. Mereka tidak hanya dilengkapi dengan reel dan joran, tetapi juga depth sounder (alat pendeteksi keberadaan ikan) dan Global Positioning System (GPS) untuk menentukan koordinat sasaran lokasi mancing. Sehingga bagi golongan pemancing kelas atas ini hampir tidak ada kesukaran untuk memancing di lokasi yang sangat tepat.<br /><br />Dengan adanya Internet, peralatan-peralatan mancing menjadi semakin dikenal dan perkembangan produk-produk baru dengan cepat diserap oleh kalangan menengah ke atas yang maniak pada hobi mengail ikan ini.<br /><br />Hampir semua produsen alat pancing terkenal seperti Daiwa, Shimano, Penn, Abu Garcia, dan lain-lain selalu bersaing menawarkan produk baru mereka lewat Internet. Belanja peralatan ini secara on-line lewat Internet kemudian menjadi salah satu pilihan yang mulai membudaya.<br /><br />GEJOLAK pertumbuhan hobi mancing ini rupanya juga disadari oleh beberapa pemancing profesional (seperti Adiwarsita Adinegoro, D J Pamoedji, Adiguna Sutowo, Dali Sofari, Pudjo Basuki, Ponco Sutowo, Yuwono Kolopaking, Dadi Kartahadimadja, dan lain-lain) yang kemudian pada tahun 1993 membentuk wadah dengan nama Federasi Organisasi Mancing Seluruh Indonesia (Formasi).<br /><br />Wadah yang semula didirikan oleh 18 orang ini kemudian pada tahun 1996 mengubah makna singkatannya menjadi Federasi Olahraga Mancing Seluruh Indonesia (Formasi), hingga wadah mancing ini bukan lagi sekadar organisasi hobi tetapi menjadi wadah pemersatu olahraga mancing.<br /><br />Beberapa teknik dan peraturan pun lalu dipelajari dan mereka mengadopsinya dari organisasi mancing dunia (IGFA- International Game Fish Association).<br /><br />Seiring dengan perbaikan peraturan-peraturan mancing, mulai banyak catatan rekor Nusantara yang dicatat di buku Formasi. Beberapa bahkan sudah mulai menempati posisi dalam catatan rekor dunia. Banyak turnamen sudah dilakukan oleh Formasi untuk lebih menggiatkan olahraga ini, dan secara berkala setahun sekali organisasi ini mengadakan turnamen internasional dengan nama Presiden Cup dan Kasal Cup.<br /><br />Kesadaran untuk berorganisasi rupanya semakin tumbuh di kalangan pemancing. Hingga di samping organisasi formal, beberapa pemancing juga mulai membentuk komunitas maya lewat Internet. Situs http:// www.mancingl.com, atau http:// komparinet.tripod.com menjadi media komunikasi untuk melengkapi kebutuhan pemancing.<br /><br />Bagi mereka yang mulai terbiasa dengan e-mail, ajang pergaulan menjadi tidak terbatas hingga saling tukar informasi dan pengetahuan mengenai teknik memancing dengan mudah bisa diserap. Percakapan lewat e-mail grup mancing-l@kreatif.com serta mancing-alternatif@egroups.com menjadi keasyikan tersendiri bagi pengail yang ingin menambah wawasan, karena di sana berkumpul pemancing-pemancing mulai dari yang tradisional hingga profesional.<br /><br />Bisnis mancing yang semakin menggiurkan ini rupanya juga ditangkap oleh Fudji Wong, seorang pegawai asuransi yang kemudian menekuni jasa layanan mancing bagi para pengusaha atau kalangan berduit dengan cara menyewakan kapal lengkap dengan peralatan mancing beserta kru kapal yang siap melayani kebutuhan penyewa. Mereka yang mau mancing tidak perlu repot-repot menyiapkan peralatan dan umpan, karena semua akan dilayani bak seorang raja.<br /><br />Ia mencoba menggaet pelanggan lewat jaringan pribadi maupun Internet (www.fishingindonesia.com). Di sana ia memasang tarif 800 dollar AS per hari untuk kapal standar, dan 1.000 dollar AS per hari untuk jenis kapal mewah.<br /><br />"Kalau tidak mendapat ikan sama sekali, dijamin uang dikembalikan setengah," demikian janji Wong kepada calon pelanggannya. (Bambang Setiawan, Litbang Kompas)<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-530777241711573042007-09-30T22:47:00.000+07:002007-09-30T22:52:54.484+07:00Conserving A Paradise<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/9/16/focus/n_pg26birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/9/16/focus/n_pg26birds.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >By RASHVINJEET S.BE<br />thestar.com.my </span> <br /><br /><br />WHEN a group of foreign environmentalists chanced upon a mother-and-son team preparing to barbecue a turtle for dinner on the beach in a village on the Island of Papua, they negotiated to buy the turtle from the locals.<br /><br />When a group of foreign environmentalists chanced upon a mother-and-son team preparing to barbecue a turtle for dinner on the beach in a village on the Island of Papua, they negotiated to buy the turtle from the locals.<br /><br />Once they paid for the turtle, they released it back to the sea. The mother and son then went off to look for a substitute meal, but not before being “counselled” about why their eating habit was bad for the ecological system.<br /><br />Turtle flesh has always been viewed as a traditional source of meat in certain parts of the Bird’s Head Seascape, a region rich in marine species. It is a must-have, especially at religious festivals and feasts. <br /><br />Picture perfect: The Bird’s Head Seascape, a hotspot for marine life with more than 1,300 species of fish recorded in the area.<br />But thanks to a campaign by environmental group Conservation International (CI) to educate the locals on the importance of preserving the turtles, many of them have not only given up turtle meat, they have also sold off their turtle-hunting spears – to the environmentalists.<br /><br />“They are on board the idea of not eating turtle meat. The main issue is now finding an alternative source of meat,” says Dr Mark Erdmann, marine biologist and senior adviser to Conservation International’s Indonesian Marine Programme.<br /><br />In Christian villages, pork is an alternative while fish and deer are the substitute meat in Muslim villages. <br /><br />Erdmann, 39, has been based in Indonesia for the past 17 years. Most recently, he has been based at the Bird’s Head Seascape for research work. The region, named for its distinctive shape of the northwest corner of the Island of Papua, Indonesia, covers up to 18.3 million hectares of islands and reefs and is home to more than 150,000 people. <br /><br />Surveys by CI since 2001 have recorded 1,302 species of fish and more than 600 species of hard coral. Take into account the whales, sea turtles, crocodiles, dugongs and many other species and you have what is believed to be the most bio-diversity rich region in marine life.<br /><br />At a single site near Triton Bay, CI found more than 335 species of coral reef fish, a world record. The diversity in a small area like that is more than 10 times the diversity found in the entire Caribbean Sea. <br /><br />The species were discovered and studied by Erdmann and Dr Gerry Allen, one of the world’s foremost experts on marine biology. <br /><br />“We believe it is the epicentre of marine diversity. There are still more species to be found although we expect to find fewer from now on,” says Erdmann in a phone interview. <br /><br />Erdmann applauds the idea of the auction, saying that the potentially significant funding would come in handy.<br />During a survey in September last year, 52 new species, including a shark that walks on its fins and a shrimp that looks like a praying mantis, were found. <br /><br />To further support conservation efforts in this region, an auction will be held at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco next Thursday. The “Blue Auction” (www.theblueauction.com) offers individuals, companies and organisations the chance to bid for the privilege of having their name or a name of their choice attributed to 10 of the newly discovered marine life species. <br /><br />This inaugural auction is to enlist the help of participants from all over the world in a conservation exercise that is jointly organised by CI, the Monaco-Asia Society and London auction house Christie’s.<br /><br />Erdmann applauds the idea of the auction, adding that the potentially significant funding would come in handy. <br /><br />“The fact that it is the most bio-diverse area in the world alone makes conservation important. This region is also important to replenish the other parts of Indonesia, some of which are in pretty bad shape,” says Erdmann. <br /><br />It is this biodiversity which has made the region of Raja Ampat (similar to the Sipadan Islands in Sabah) in the Seascape one of the “hottest” new diving destinations in the world, according to Erdmann.<br /><br />While tourist dollars contribute to the economy, the sea is just as important to the locals who depend on sustainable traditional fishing techniques to feed themselves.<br /><br />Going around in small canoes, they fish using hand lines and spears. These activities do not really impact the environment as such. However, things are not all that rosy as the Seascape grapples with several problems, especially illegal fishing. As is in many other parts of the region, blast fishing and cyanide fishing are two big threats.<br /><br />Bomb fishing is a process using homemade bombs or other explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. Cyanide fishing, meanwhile, uses the chemical compound sodium cyanide to stun the fish.<br /><br />“It is vital that these illegal activities are stopped,” says Erdmann, who adds that illegal mining and logging on the islands is creating toxic run-off, threatening the reefs.<br /><br />To combat this problem of illegal fishing, the Indonesian government has set up a joint patrol system comprising the police, fisheries and local community members. <br /><br />The efforts of the various stakeholders have also seen the implementation of a network of marine reserves within the seascape totalling 30,000 square kilometres. <br /><br />“Our main aim is to facilitate the local government in Papua so that there is a proper management system for reefs and rainforests in the area,” says Erdmann. <br /><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-23930728972384404562007-09-26T22:34:00.001+07:002007-09-26T22:48:21.842+07:00FORMASI : Hotspot Mancing<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" >Kep 1000:<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Haris</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*46,450' BT dan 05*29,350' LS </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Ave</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*41,672' BT dan 05*31,846' LS </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Kuswadi III </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*44,899' BT dan 05*29,415 LS </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Karang Supermarket Timur </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*45,098' BT dan 05*29,673 LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Karang Karimun </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*48,637' BT dan 05*29,491' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Dani </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*40,843' BT dan 05*32,258' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Pujo II </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*46,898' BT dan 05*30,569' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Coco </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*44,624' BT dan 05*29,665' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Surya Paloh </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*46,233' BT dan 05*31,249' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Dadi II </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*49,097' BT dan 05*35,405' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Tandes Kartini </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*42,187' BT dan 05*34,482' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Kapal tenggelam </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 106*39,850' BT dan 05*34,307' LS.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ujung Kulon:</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Karang Kereta </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 105*11' BT dan 06*50' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jenis ikan yang dapat dipancing disini adalah marlin, layaran, kuwe gerong dan hiu. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;">Sang Hyang Sirah </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 105*14' BT dan 06*49' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ikan layaran sering sekali ditemukan didaerah yang dapat dikenali dengan dua bongkah karang besar ini. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;">Karang Copong </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">: 105*14 BT dan 06*43' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wahu, kuwe, layaran dan tengiri sering bermain disini. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Layar </span>: 105*10' BT dan 06*45' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ikan ikan yang sering dijumpai termasuk marlin, layaran dan tuna. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Jajar </span>: 105*11' BT dan 06*41' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ikan yang dapat dipancing di hotspot ini termasuk kuwe, tuna, barakuda, tenggiri dan hiu. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Waton </span>: 105*14' BT dan 06*43' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Marlin dan layaran kadang kala sering terlihat di hotspot ini. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Batu Asin </span>: 105*11 BT dan 06*32' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kuwe berukuran besar dapat Anda temudi di hotspot ini. Tempat ini juga cocok untuk mancing dasar. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Parat </span>: 105*16' BT dan 06*31' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Layaran, wahu dan lemadang dapat anda jumpai di sini.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Muara Binuangen:</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hotspot di Binuangeun terdiri dari :</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tubiran Ciara </span>: 106*02,7' BT dan 06*56,2' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kadang kadang marlin dapat ditemui di hotspot ini. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Cijulang </span>: 105*47,1' BT dan 06*53,4' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lokasi ini cocok untuk trolling kuwe, tenggiri maupun mancing dasar kurisi. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Inpres </span>: 105*37,1' BT dan 06*57,2' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Walaupun banyak yang bilang bahwa daerah ini lebih cocok untuk mancing dasar daripada trolling, tetapi dimusim-musim tertentu kadang kala anda dapat menjumpai rombongan kuwe bermain di hotspot ini. Saya sendiri pernah bertemu rombongan tersebut dan mendapat strike yang hampir tidak ada henti-hentinya. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Sodong </span>: 105*34,7' BT dan 06*53,8' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hotspot ini cocok untuk trolling kuwe dan tenggiri. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Deef </span>: 105*41,3' BT dan 06*59,5' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Berbagai jenis ikan dari wahu, tenggiri, baracuda, kuwe sering terlihat disini. Saya sendiri bulan Oktober 98 lalu mendapat beberapa ekor tenggiri di hotspot ini. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Karang Tinjil </span>: 105*45,0' BT dan 06*58,8' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Selatan Tinjil </span>: 105*50,6' BT dan 06*57,7' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kedua hotspot diatas berada di seputar pulau Tinjil. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjung Selatan Deli </span>: 105*34,8' BT dan 07*01,2' LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Rente </span>: 105*28,6' BT dan 07*01,7 LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kedua hotspot ini terdapat diseputaran pulau Deli. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karang Tengah </span>: 105*22,5' BT dan 07*03,1 LS. </span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hotspot yang satu ini terletak paling jauh, sehingga apabila udara tidak bagus sebaiknya Anda tidak kedaerah yang satu ini. Tetapi apabila udara mengijinkan, maka hotspot yang satu ini kabarnya sangat menjanjikan. Saya sendiri belum menemukan kesempatan untuk menjajal hotspot yang satu ini. Saya janji saya akan ceritakan apabila saya telah mencoba tempat ini.</span><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-47718231648443284222007-09-26T22:34:00.000+07:002009-02-04T12:44:13.784+07:00Hotspot mincing<br />FORMASI<br />Kep 1000:<br />Tandes Haris : 106*46,450' BT dan 05*29,350' LS Tandes Ave : 106*41,672' BT dan 05*31,846' LS Tandes Kuswadi III : 106*44,899' BT dan 05*29,415 LS Karang Supermarket Timur : 106*45,098' BT dan 05*29,673 LS. Karang Karimun : 106*48,637' BT dan 05*29,491' LS. Tandes Dani : 106*40,843' BT dan 05*32,258' LS. Tandes Pujo II : 106*46,898' BT dan 05*30,569' LS. Tandes Coco : 106*44,624' BT dan 05*29,665' LS. Tandes Surya Paloh : 106*46,233' BT dan 05*31,249' LS. Tandes Dadi II : 106*49,097' BT dan 05*35,405' LS. Tandes Kartini : 106*42,187' BT dan 05*34,482' LS. Kapal tenggelam : 106*39,850' BT dan 05*34,307' LS.<br />LS<br />BT<br />Jenis<br />Nama<br />#<br />LS<br />BT<br />Jenis<br />Nama<br />05.42.949<br />106.13.936<br />A/T<br />kr. tengah<br />1<br />05.50.854<br />106.36.148<br />K/A/T<br />kpl. pari<br />05.45.430<br />106.26.010<br />K<br />R. Formasi 16<br />2<br />05.53.492<br />106.36.549<br />A/T<br />kr. kasik p. pari<br />05.45.410<br />106.26.230<br />K<br />R. Formasi 17<br />3<br />05.46.745<br />106.37.010<br />K<br />R. Formasi 15<br />05.46.507<br />106.26.681<br />A/T<br />kr. kerbau<br />4<br />05.53.597<br />106.37.054<br />A/T<br />kr. delima p. pari<br />05.45.510<br />106.26.790<br />K<br />R. Formasi 21<br />5<br />05.46.400<br />106.37.130<br />K<br />R. Formasi 14<br />05.45.200<br />106.26.880<br />K<br />R. Formasi 18<br />6<br />05.46.060<br />106.37.298<br />K<br />R. Formasi 13<br />05.44.860<br />106.26.990<br />K<br />R. Formasi 19<br />7<br />05.54.785<br />106.38.525<br />ML/TL<br />Tandak bokor<br />05.46.790<br />106.27.200<br />A/T<br />kr. sepela<br />8<br />05.53.199<br />106.39.301<br />A/T<br />kr. manyumbah<br />05.44.380<br />106.27.260<br />K<br />R. Formasi 25<br />9<br />05.53.865<br />106.39.424<br />A/T<br />kr. surah<br />05.45.300<br />106.27.300<br />K<br />R. Formasi 23<br />10<br />05.54.096<br />106.39.589<br />A/T<br />kr. piskol<br />05.45.520<br />106.27.340<br />K<br />R. Formasi 20<br />11<br />05.54.184<br />106.39.832<br />A/T<br />kr. bajo<br />05.47.264<br />106.27.578<br />A/T<br />kr. p. payung<br />12<br />05.55.445<br />106.40.544<br />A/T<br />kr. sawo p. bokor<br />05.45.030<br />106.27.740<br />K<br />R. Formasi 24<br />13<br />05.32.278<br />106.41.630<br />A/T<br />kr. charlie 1<br />05.29.045<br />106.28.419<br />A/T<br />kr. kain, pabelokan<br />14<br />05.32.250<br />106.41.675<br />A/T<br />kr. charlie<br />05.29.019<br />106.28.572<br />A/T<br />kr. gede<br />15<br />05.58.196<br />106.42.600<br />ML/TL<br />kpl. p . untung jawa<br />05.44.780<br />106.28.870<br />K<br />R. Formasi 22<br />16<br />05.47.940<br />106.42.700<br />K<br />Tandes lumpur<br />05.31.362<br />106.29.144<br />A/T<br />kr. bakar p. bunder<br />17<br />05.49.465<br />106.42.818<br />T<br />kr. jana<br />05.45.474<br />106.29.655<br />A/T<br />kr. angka p. tidung<br />18<br />05.55.056<br />106.42.830<br />K<br />kr. berak<br />05.40.733<br />106.29.691<br />A/T<br />kr. mangga<br />19<br />05.55.420<br />106.43.395<br />T<br />p.dapur<br />05.51.997<br />106.29.780<br />A/T<br />kr. dalam 1<br />20<br />05.55.316<br />106.43.861<br />ML/TL/T<br />gosong dapur<br />05.52.050<br />106.29.820<br />A<br />kr. dalam 2<br />21<br />05.49.165<br />106.44.463<br />A/T<br />kr. yasin<br />05.52.102<br />106.29.997<br />K<br />Tandes dalem<br />22<br />05.48.554<br />106.47.035<br />A/T<br />kr. timbang<br />05.40.445<br />106.30.448<br />A/T<br />kr. ketamba<br />23<br />05.48.553<br />106.47.038<br />A/T<br />kr. tambang<br />05.39.946<br />106.30.610<br />A/T<br />kr. pelang<br />24<br />05.48.083<br />106.47.080<br />A/T<br />kr. timbang besar<br />05.43.402<br />106.30.641<br />K<br />R. Formasi 10<br />25<br />05.48.303<br />106.47.525<br />A/T<br />kr. timbang kecilLefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-91758604712423223952007-09-26T22:12:00.001+07:002007-09-26T22:26:31.486+07:00Raja Ampat Islands<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">A Hotspot of Marine Diversity</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Copy & pictures by Richard Smith</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Both above and below the water’s surface the Raja Ampat islands of Irian Jaya, Indonesia are teeming with the diversity of life. Having only recently opened up to the international diving community and with a sparse population, the region’s reefs have remained in pristine condition awaiting divers with a love of remote and exotic locations.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Getting there</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘Raja Ampat’ translates as four kings from Bahasa Indonesia and comprises an archipelago of over 600 islands off the western tip of the Indonesian half of New Guinea. The most convenient entry point into Indonesia, following the long trek from Europe, will most likely be Manado in northern Sulawesi. This works well if you plan to tie further diving at the Bunaken National Park or Lembeh Straits into your journey. From here you will travel on domestic airlines to the small town of Sorong on the ‘beak’ of the Bird’s Head peninsula, the most westerly mainland part of Irian Jaya. Sorong is a small and pleasant town; it acts as a local administrative centre and a base for oil and logging companies.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Lodgings</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Kri%20Accommodation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Kri%20Accommodation.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">The only land-based diving operation in the area is Papua diving, the vision of Dutch born Max Ammer. The company was founded in 1990 after Max spent many months searching the area for World War II wrecks. At the time of our visit in February 2004 the Kri Island Eco Resort was the only site opened and our group of five intrepid divers were the only guests. This really is an enchanting place to stay and whilst facilities are very basic this adds to the charm. The relatively small Island is surrounded by white sandy beaches and has a steep and mountainous backbone. Due to the topography all main buildings are built on stilts over the shallow lagoon that surrounds the island.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">There is room for around twenty guests in various huts constructed entirely of local materials that contain little more than a bed, mosquito net, small lamp and table. The sleeping huts branch off a 200m long jetty that spans the lagoon. Dive boats leave for the day’s excursions from the end of the jetty. The main communal eating hall is also on stilts above the water and also houses the base’s menagerie. During our stay the staff were hand rearing orphaned creatures including a scrappy but adorable Hornbill, a Cockatoo named Jacob which is the generic Indonesian name for all pet Cockatoos and a Cuscus, which is a small marsupial reminiscent of a sluggish and comical monkey.</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Kri%20Dinning%20room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Kri%20Dinning%20room.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since our stay Max has opened a new more modern resort at Sorido Bay around the corner from the original Eco resort. Facilities include air conditioning, hot showers and televisions in all rooms. The house reef of this new site is named ‘Cape Kri’ and during a survey conducted by the eminent fish biologist, Dr Gerry Allen, he counted a record 283 fish species during one dive. Luckily this bountiful site with amazing coral cover is only a short ride from the Eco resort too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Chicken?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Soon after arriving on Kri and unpacking our gear we were eager to get in the water. Our first dive was Chicken reef, only 5-10 minutes away by speedboat. The visibility wasn’t crystal clear but as the reef came into view every inch was teeming with life. As is common at many of the Raja Ampat patch reefs there were large schools of small silver fish and associated large predators. Spanish mackerel, Giant Trevally and Yellow-tail Barracuda tormented these smaller fish. Later dives at this site yielded many rare nudibranchs, Hawksbill turtles, Black-Tip Reef sharks, Sea Spiders, a large school of Hump Head Parrotfish and a pair of Robust Ghost pipefish that perfectly mimicked seagrass even down to the detail of encrusting algae on their surface.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Raja_Epaulette_Shark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Raja_Epaulette_Shark.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wobbegong sharks are also found at this site and are fairly unique to this part of Indonesia, occurring more commonly on Australian reefs. These large Carpet sharks rest motionless on the reef bottom during the day and blend in even down to their tasselled beard, which helps break up their outline. At night they become voracious hunters of fish and Crustaceans.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">As darkness falls…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">We only managed three night dives during our stay, which was a shame as they were excellent. Two were on the House reef at the end of the jetty and one at an off shore reef. The House reef had by far the most diverse and interesting inhabitants. The reef top had most of the action and in only a few meters of water we came across several Raja Ampat Epaulette sharks. These small nocturnal sharks reach a maximum length of two feet and are only found in this small group of islands. They can barely swim and instead crawl using their pectoral fins among seagrass and coral rubble to hunt small reef organisms.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another highlight was an unusual pale pink Harlequin shrimp, which was wrestling with a starfish that was considerably larger than its self. These shrimp usually work in pairs to ensnare their starfish prey and relocate them to a larder where they consume them over a week or so. This individual was working alone so as it pried each arm off the substrate another one would hold fast and appeared to be getting the better of the shrimp. Other night-time critters included a verdant green frogfish resting in the recesses of a large sponge, a huge slipper lobster and many large Pleurobranch nudibranchs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">A New Manta Mecca</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Harlequin%20shrimp%20H.picta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Harlequin%20shrimp%20H.picta.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Having previously visited Yap, the “Manta Ray Mecca of the world”, and found the hoards of divers entirely disconcerting, the ‘Manta reef’ of Raja Ampat was a breath of fresh air. The dive guide was fairly low key about the site but on arrival we saw literally dozens of Manta fins breaking the surface as these gentle giants filtered the plankton rich waters for food. There was no disappointment as we entered the water and saw many individuals passing over the reef. It wasn’t until we moved into the blue a little that the show really started. Out of nowhere a group of 15-20 Mantas headed straight for us, coming so close that the leader hit our dive guide across the shins.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">On subsequent dives at the site we again moved off the reef to find up to a dozen huge mantas barrel rolling in areas of especially rich water. They would allow us to get extremely close but a camera malfunction meant I only have memories to remind me of the amazing experience. The concentration of Mantas appears to be a year round phenomenon and with such low levels of interruption from divers they go about their business with little concern.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Saturday, a day of rest</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For religious reasons there is absolutely no diving on Saturdays at Papua Diving, which is the perfect opportunity to visit local villages or take a tour. We decided to go to a neighbouring island named Waigeo in search of the Red Bird of Paradise, which congregate ridiculously early each morning for the males to display to the females. This turned out to be a highlight of the trip and made all the more adventurous by getting up and heading to the site long before sunrise. By torch light we left the boat and headed through a small village where we were enthusiastically greeted by the locals. After half an hour hike we arrived at the tree where males meet to display; this behaviour is known as lekking. There was a small hide half way up a nearby tree, which gave an amazing vantage point of the 5 or 6 males enthusiastically showing off their gaudy plumage. It would have been fit for an Attenborough show!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">The Passage</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">On Sunday we were keen to get back in the water and went to a slightly further a field dive site called the ‘Passage’. The journey took us through thickly forested limestone islands, very similar to Palau’s famous Seventy Islands. The dive must be well timed to catch the correct tide as it takes place in the narrow channel between two islands and photographers would not appreciate a roaring current on this site. The site is unique in that huge sea fans and Black Coral trees reach to within inches of the surface and the rainforest reaches to within inches of the water’s surface. There are reports of Saltwater Crocs in the area so beware!</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">The Little guys</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Fan_sunburst.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/Fan_sunburst.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">The wonder of Raja Ampat is that many species of pygmy seahorses occur commonly on several dive sites and often at much shallower depths than other locations. Common species are both the red and yellow Bargabant’s pygmies (Hippocampus bargabanti), Denise’s pygmy (Hippocampus denise) and the newly discovered and as yet scientifically undescribed Pontohi’s pygmy (Hippocampus species?). The expert eye of the dive guides is essential in finding the Pontohi species as this has no specific fan to inhabit and can be found on any algae or small hydroid on the reef. Having never encountered the yellow Bargabant’s or Pontohi pygmies these were real highlights of the trip. The dive guides informed us of a fairly reliable site to find the Pontohi species, which happened to be under the wing of an American B47 World War II plane wreck and at a depth of 31m, unfortunately there wasn’t much time to hang around to study it’s behaviour.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Until next time</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/yellow%20bargabant%27s%20pygmy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/raja/yellow%20bargabant%27s%20pygmy.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">After ten days in paradise we took the boat back to Sorong and headed home. Having thoroughly enjoyed the ‘back to basics’ Eco resort I would love to return and experience the more modern site. There remain countless sites to visit in the area and with Papua diving’s plans for a liveaboard and several charters beginning to make the most of the area’s diversity there are many ways of sampling this in a trip.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Further Information:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Travel advice - Foreign and Commonwealth Office – 0870 6060290 www.fco.gov.uk</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Papua diving www.PapuaDiving.com</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kararu www.kararu.com</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pindito www.pindito.com</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Several other liveaboards also make occasional trips to the Raja Ampat Islands.</span></span></li></ul>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-85900569311521320512007-09-24T23:39:00.001+07:002007-09-24T23:51:41.286+07:00Alor & Flores<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pictures and copy by RICHARD SMITH</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/travel/alor.htm</span><br /></span> </span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/komodo/Komodo%20Dancer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/komodo/Komodo%20Dancer.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Having been on the Komodo Dancer several times previously, I jumped at the chance to join a charter expedition that was heading to rarely visited parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Alor and Flores lie several islands east of Bali and Komodo and just north of Timor island. This places them right in the centre of the world hotspot for the highest species diversity of both fish and corals: the further you venture from this location the fewer of these species you will find. Indonesia also contains around 18% of the world’s coral reef area, making it the single most important country in the world for coral cover. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">As this was new territory for the boat some of the sites were ‘exploratory’ although the experienced charter guide, from Bali based Diving4Images, had many gems tucked up his sleeve. The focus of the trip was muck critters although several of the dives were pristine coral reefs with beautiful blue water and amazing visibility. Whilst much of the diving was in calm sheltered waters the narrow straits between islands allow for very fast currents to develop that make the ocean surface appear to boil.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Flores was named by Portuguese sailors in the sixteenth century who were so struck by it’s beauty they named it ‘Cabo das Flores’ or Cape of Flowers. Flores is a large island that is situated in one of the world’s most geologically unstable zones. The island possesses fourteen active volcanoes and in 1992 experienced an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale. This quake resulted in 10m high waves, devestating the principal town of Maumere. At that tAlor Bayime many of the reefs were also destroyed; although little evidence of this damage remains.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Alor%20Bay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Alor%20Bay.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The two-week live-aboard trip began in Maumere in late November, which is technically the beginning of the rainy season that continues until March. There was little evidence of unsettled weather and with air temperature remaining at around 25-30°C and water temperatures of 27-29°C, conditions could not have been better. Having logged one of my more memorable checkout dives I was eager to begin the diving proper.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Having heard very little about the area prior to the trip I was uncertain as of what to expect. The unusual critters turned out to rival those found in Lembeh Straits, a well-known Mecca for such creatures. After a day of diving stunning walls and reefs around Pulau Lapan and Pantar we moved to critter habitat around the town of Kalabahi, which is situated far up a very sheltered bay inlet on Alor Island. It was at these sites that we came across four of the five species of Ghost Pipefish encountered on the trip. The most unexpected of these was a pair of Velvet Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus sp.) that perfectly mimicked a small purple sponge that littered the bottom. Many Ornate, Robust and Halimeda Ghost pipefish were also found at the sites. Other notable finds among the rubble and sparse soft coral cover were Thorny and common seahorses, several species of snake-eels including reptilian and crocodile and a hairy octopus resting among the filamentous algae of a large rock. The amazing abundance of organisms at shallow depths allowed many dives to exceed an hour, or even an hour and a half!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Velvet_Ghostpipefish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Velvet_Ghostpipefish.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">During a well earned break between dives we headed ashore to visit a small fishing village. Due to the lack of tourism in the area we became the main spectacle and the entire community descended upon the main square to greet us. The elders boasted a huge anchor, which was found high up on the local hillside. Our guide attempted to translate the reason for the strange location of the anchor and it seems that a huge tidal wave had washed a ship up the hill and the villagers later carried the anchor down. Soon music began and the women of the village enjoyed showing us their traditional dances before we returned to the boat to either dive, sleep or eat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">From Kalabahi we moved to the famous ‘Valley of the Clownfish’ off Pura, an island between Pantar and Alor. Whilst the Indonesian guide had primed me for the ‘banyak ikan perawak’, or ‘many clownfish’, I was unprepared for the almost total coverage of the bottom by anemones and the scores of anemonefish inhabiting them. Due to the small settlement on the island adjacent to the site there were several large rattan-wicker fish traps ensnaring Fusileers and other larger fish for the local community. At one point I was surprised by a man swimming down to check his trap at some 10m depth. It was refreshing to see this non-destructive form of fishing compared to other parts of Indonesia where it is common place to hear dynamite bombs and see the unnecessary destruction it has caused.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Red_Rhinopias.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Red_Rhinopias.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">From the clear blue reefs we moved to Pantar Island for further muck diving and critter forays. This was no less fruitful than Alor whilst harbouring an almost entirely different set of creatures. The slightly more exposed bay of Beang Beach had a coarse sandy gravel bottom with patches of red algae and many large sea pens. On our first dive at the site, a night dive, I descended almost directly onto a large red Weedy Scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa) in only 14m of water. It was perfectly mimicking the red algae, allowing it to rest motionless whilst awaiting an unsuspecting fish to ambush. Another smaller individual was found a couple of days later, also mimicking the red algae. Besides the ‘Holy Grail’ of critters we found many other exciting creatures such as Pegasus Seamoths, Tozeuma shrimp, seahorses and the very rare and unusual Gurnard lionfish (Parapterois hetururus). A pair of these strange fish was found in only 3m of water in a barren gravel area with fairly strong surge. When alarmed they fanned out their elaborate pectoral fins showing off their iridescent blue colouration. In addition to these bottom dwelling creatures the rich waters attracted many large schools of mackerel and even a trio of Pygmy Devil Rays.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The couple of days at Beang Beach had required much critter spotting concentration so it was decided to spend a day at some spectacular local wall dives. Whilst there was not the huge concentration of large pelagics that may be found at some other sites in Indonesia, several White and Black tip reef sharks were spotted along with large marble rays and a couple of Eagle rays. The coral cover at these sites was pristine and the number of small reef dwelling fish was bewildering. Gedong Point on Flores island yielded the fifth Ghost pipefish of the trip, the hairy or Irish setter, and a blue ring octopus.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Tozeuma_Shrimp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Tozeuma_Shrimp.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><empty style="font-family: georgia;">The end of the trip was fast approaching, only one location remained and promises of mimic octopus beckoned. Ankermi House Reef is a muck dive site in a secluded bay with a small guesthouse and dive centre. I fear many of the travellers that do their first ever dive from their small beach would be very disappointed by the poor visibility and muddy bottom they encountered, but for the trained eye this was a treasure trove of unusual creatures. The muddy bottom was unusual in that it was covered in abundant small white heart urchins, known as sea mice that appeared to scurry along using their bristly spines. The mimic octopus, made its’ promised appearance although several legs short of an octet! Three large Hispid/Pompom frogfish inhabited a small boat wreck, along with painted and warty frogfish they made for a memorable dive.<br /><br />At night the dive site really came alive with many creatures coming out of the soft sediment. Highlights included Blue-eyed stingfish, White-faced Waspfish, Bobbit worms and an unusual nudibranch called Euselenops luniceps that resembles a cross between a hammerhead shark and a flying saucer.<br /><br /></empty></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Local%20Boat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.oceanrealmimages.com/images/review/alor/Local%20Boat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><empty style="font-family: georgia;">The waters of Ankermi Bay are unusually rich and during our two day mooring a Minke Whale was repeatedly seen, as was a large whale shark, although neither were seen on dives. The Ankermi Guest house would be a perfect spot to spend a day or two relaxing following a dive trip, as it is only 28km from Maumere and the domestic airport with connections to many Indonesian cities, including Bali. The basic double bungalows will set you back £2-3 and dives can be arranged through the owners.<br /><br />So, no sooner than the trip had begun, it was over. Having known little about what to expect, I came away having seen many more critters than I could have dreamed. I am now left planning my next trip to this seldom visited corner of Indonesia.</empty></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-63001367879414346312007-09-20T18:30:00.000+07:002007-09-20T18:49:29.361+07:00Derawan<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >from: www.nudipixel.net<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Derawan Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Derawan) are in Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia covering Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua, Panjang, and Samama Island as well as several submerged reefs and small islets, are located in the Sulawesi Sea, on the coastal shelf of East Kalimantan (2°17'N - 113°13'E). The Derawan Islands have about 31 islands.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Located in the global biodiversity hotspot, the Derawan Islands are featured by high diversity of reef fishes (347 species), corals (222 species), and invertebrates, including a considerable number of protected species (5 giants clam species, 2 sea turtles, coconut crab, etc). Some of the islands harbor the heavily exploited turtle eggs and yet the largest green turtle nesting site in Indonesia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">There are two islands inhabited, namely Derawan (1 village of 1,259 people) and Maratua (4 villages of 2,704 people). Fishing is an important income generating activity for the community. Since early 1990s, people have started to catch live groupers, napoleon wrasses, and lobsters, due to high demand and price. As a world class dive tourism destination, there are 3 international dive resorts on Derawan Islands , while more additional resorts or facilities are in the planning process.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/photos/1/medium/645.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.nudipixel.net/photos/1/medium/645.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><h2 style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Philinopsis gardineri (Eliot, 1903)</span></h2> <table style="border: 1px dotted rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: georgia;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Kingdom:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="0" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/kingdom/animalia/">Animalia</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Phylum:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="1" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/phylum/mollusca/">Mollusca</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Class:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="2" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/class/gastropoda/">Gastropoda</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Subclass:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="3" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/subclass/opisthobranchia/">Opisthobranchia</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Order:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="4" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/order/cephalaspidea/">Cephalaspidea</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Superfamily:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="5" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/superfamily/philinoidea/">Philinoidea</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Family:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="6" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/family/aglajidae/">Aglajidae</a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Species:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="7" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/species/philinopsis_gardineri/">Philinopsis gardineri</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Location:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a set="yes" linkindex="2" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/location/derawan/">Derawan, Indonesia</a></span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Photographer:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a set="yes" linkindex="3" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/photographer/erwin/">Erwin Kodiat</a></span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-size:85%;">Camera:</span></td><td><span style="font-size:85%;"><a linkindex="4" href="http://www.nudipixel.net/cameras/canon/powershot_a620/">Canon PowerShot A620</a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-44117097189523567872007-09-19T22:22:00.000+07:002007-09-19T22:28:13.140+07:00Taman Nasional Wakatobi<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Taman Nasional Wakatobi memiliki potensi sumberdaya alam laut yang bernilai tinggi baik jenis dan keunikannya, dengan panorama bawah laut yang menakjubkan. Secara umum perairan lautnya mempunyai konfigurasi dari mulai datar sampai melandai kearah laut, dan beberapa daerah perairan terdapat yang bertubir curam. Kedalaman airnya bervariasi, bagian terdalam mencapai 1.044 meter dengan dasar perairan sebagian besar berpasir dan berkarang.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Taman nasional ini memiliki 25 buah gugusan terumbu karang dengan keliling pantai dari pulau-pulau karang sepanjang 600 km. Lebih dari 112 jenis karang dari 13 famili diantaranya Acropora formosa, A. hyacinthus, Psammocora profundasafla, Pavona cactus, Leptoseris yabei, Fungia molucensis, Lobophyllia robusta, Merulina ampliata, Platygyra versifora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Tubastraea frondes, Stylophora pistillata, Sarcophyton throchelliophorum, dan Sinularia spp.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kekayaan jenis ikan yang dimiliki taman nasional ini sebanyak 93 jenis ikan konsumsi perdagangan dan ikan hias diantaranya argus bintik (Cephalopholus argus), takhasang (Naso unicornis), pogo-pogo (Balistoides viridescens), napoleon (Cheilinus undulatus), ikan merah (Lutjanus biguttatus), baronang (Siganus guttatus), Amphiprion melanopus, Chaetodon specullum, Chelmon rostratus, Heniochus acuminatus, Lutjanus monostigma, Caesio caerularea, dan lain-lain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Selain terdapat beberapa jenis burung laut seperti angsa-batu coklat (Sula leucogaster plotus), cerek melayu (Charadrius peronii), raja udang erasia (Alcedo atthis); juga terdapat tiga jenis penyu yang sering mendarat di pulau-pulau yang ada di taman nasional yaitu penyu sisik (Eretmochelys imbricata), penyu tempayan (Caretta caretta), dan penyu lekang (Lepidochelys olivacea).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Masyarakat asli yang tinggal di sekitar taman nasional yaitu suku laut atau yang disebut suku Bajau. Menurut catatan Cina kuno dan para penjelajah Eropa, menyebutkan bahwa manusia berperahu adalah manusia yang mampu menjelajahi Kepulauan Merqui, Johor, Singapura, Sulawesi, dan Kepulauan Sulu. Dari keseluruhan manusia berperahu di Asia Tenggara yang masih mempunyai kebudayaan berperahu tradisional adalah suku Bajau. Melihat kehidupan mereka sehari-hari merupakan hal yang menarik dan unik, terutama penyelaman ke dasar laut tanpa peralatan untuk menombak ikan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pulau Hoga (Resort Kaledupa), Pulau Binongko (Resort Binongko) dan Resort Tamia merupakan lokasi yang menarik dikunjungi terutama untuk kegiatan menyelam, snorkeling, wisata bahari, berenang, berkemah, dan wisata budaya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Musim kunjungan terbaik: bulan April s/d Juni dan Oktober s/d Desember setiap tahunnya.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Cara pencapaian lokasi: Kendari ke Bau-bau dengan kapal cepat regular setiap hari dua kali dengan lama perjalanan lima jam atau setiap hari dengan kapal kayu selama 12 jam. Dari Bau-bau ke Lasalimu naik kendaraan roda empat selama dua jam, lalu naik kapal cepat Lasalimu-Wanci selama satu jam atau kapal kayu Lasalimu-Wanci selama 2,5 jam. Wanci merupakan pintu gerbang pertama memasuki kawasan Taman Nasional Wakatobi.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kantor : Jl. Dayanu Ikhsanudin, Bau-bau</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Buton, Sulawesi Tenggara</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Telp. (0402) 25652</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">E-mail: tnkw-buton@msn. com</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-49025946428686559322007-09-03T08:34:00.000+07:002007-09-03T08:37:29.329+07:00About Our Ocean<span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:blue;" ><b>As a Tourist or Diver:</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#800080;" ><b>- How You Can Help</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#800080;" ><b>- What You Can Do</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:red;" ><b>Be responsible!</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <br /> <ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">The money you spend on your holiday helps determine the development and direction of tourism. Use your money to support reputable, conservation-minded tour operators and suppliers. </span></li></ul> <ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Stay in locally owned hotels, support local businesses, and hire local guides and services. By supporting the local economy, you will help local communities to protect their environment.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Support environmentally-friendly businesses. Ask before you buy: is the business supporting the local marine environment? Let them know you are informed and care about coral reefs and other marine habitats.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">In restaurants, don't buy live reef fish<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Respect all local guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to protect coral reefs, seagrass meadows, beaches, and other marine habitats.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Don't put rubbish or human waste in rivers or the sea.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Don't leave waste on the beach.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Don't buy products made from any endangered species, including tortoise-shell or coral - they could be illegal.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Don't collect shells, corals, or other natural items.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">If you find yourself in a boat, make sure it doesn’t anchor on a reef.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">If you dive or snorkel, don't touch reefs or marine animals! Keep yourself and your scuba gear off coral reefs. And try to stay off the bottom: stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">If you go whale watching, or watching other marine mammals and birds, ensure the tour operator stays a respectable distance from the animals. And never touch!<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Take a look at </span><a linkindex="67" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.earthdive.com/front_end/aboutus/default.asp"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">EarthDive</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;"> - a global project for millions of divers, snorkellers, and ordinary citizens to preserve the health and diversity of our oceans.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Volunteer for a coral reef or beach cleanup for your holiday.<br /></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3f803f;">Support a local conservation organization at your holiday destination. Even the smallest donations can make a big difference.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;" ><b>As a Seafood Lover:</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:red;" ><b>Whether it is sushi, swordfish steak, paella or fish and chips, many of us love seafood.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#ff0080;" >The trouble is, our oceans are being seriously over fished. So much so, that unless action is taken some of our favourite fish may disappear from the seafood counter and restaurant table altogether.<br /><br />But it is not just our supper that's at stake. Unsustainable fishing is decimating the world's fisheries, as well as destroying marine habitats and incidentally killing billions of fish and other marine animals each year. </span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:red;" ><b>But you can help change this.</b> </span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#a1009f;" >Consumer demand for sustainable seafood can act as an extremely powerful incentive for better fisheries management. </span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;color:#a1009f;" >If you buy, or ask for, seafood that comes from sustainable sources you are helping to protect our marine environment and, at the same time, ensuring that seafood can be enjoyed for many years to come.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /> <p style="font-family: arial;"><a set="yes" linkindex="69" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://passport.panda.org/campaigns/campaign.cfm?uCampaignId=1301"><span style="font-size:130%;color:red;"><b>Say Yes to sustainable seafood: Pledge to buy MSC!<br /><br /></b></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#800080;">In supermarkets, look for seafood products with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel; or alternatively, go to supermarkets that stock MSC-certified seafood.</span> </p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#800080;">Ask your supermarket, fish store, or favourite restaurant to stock MSC-certified fish. </span> </p><p style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a set="yes" linkindex="70" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/our_solutions/sustainable_fishing/sustainable_seafood/seafood_guides/index.cfm"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;"><b>Check out the WWF seafood guides...</b></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">At WWF-Indonesia we believe that it is possible to have fish on the menu in homes and restaurants while ensuring healthy fish populations in a healthy environment. If you make careful choices when enjoying your seafood while learning more about how fisheries should be managed we all contribute to ensuring healthy oceans for the future. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Indonesian seafood products are under threats as coastal and reef fisheries are putting too high pressure on the fish populations and fish environment. </span> <table align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td><img src="http://us.f311.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download/us/ShowLetter?box=Inbox&MsgId=6785_11273125_41178_1494_55227_0_24865_82115_167676185&bodyPart=2&YY=76096&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&Idx=23" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:red;">Did you know that: </span> </p><div style="font-family: arial;"> <ul><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Lobster grows and matures very slowly. Lobster is very easy to catch and so lobster in the wild are getting very rare. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Lobster is sometimes caught with poison. The poison kills the reef and its other inhabitants. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Sharks fins are obtained from sharks that are often caught in nets or on long-lines where also dolphins, turtles, birds and other marine life falls prey. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Shark meat is often discarded after the fins are cut off. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Sharks grow and mature very slowly. Shark populations have gone down dramatically in the past 10 years. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Baby sharks are getting rare as their adults are being over-fished. Baby sharks could restore the dwindling shark population when they are left to live and grow. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Prawns are caught with trawlers that destroy the near shore ocean bottom ecosystem. By-catch often includes turtles and other marine mammals. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Prawns are also farmed in ponds for which mangrove forests were cut down. Without the mangrove tress, coastlines erode and natural fish nursery areas disappear. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Grouper is often caught with poison that kills the reef. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Grouper grows and matures slowly. Groupers are also important in balancing the reef fish community. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Reef fish are often caught with explosives. Many snappers, rabbitfish, groupers, fusiliers, triggerfish and surgeonfish are typical blast fishing catches. The explosive kills the reef for many decades, and the reef sometimes does not regenerate at all. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Pelagic fish such as mackerel, tuna and trevally make great dishes and are simply prepared. </span> </li><li><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">A combination of too much fishing pressure and destructive capture techniques have caused reef and inshore fish stocks to collapse in many areas in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; height: 1em;" id="lw_1188783086_0">Indonesia</span>. What does that have to do with you? Not all areas in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; height: 1em;" id="lw_1188783086_1">Indonesia</span> represent gloom and doom. By making a careful selection when you wish to enjoy seafood, you can help to make things better. </span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:red;">Now you know, now you can act! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">You can download and use the guide when selecting your meal. Whenever possible please ask for seafood from the green list. They present a wide variety of healthy and nutricious food. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Please be careful and aware when you select seafood from the yellow list. These products are often not produced in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Please refrain from ordering seafood from the red list. These products are in serious decline in the wild or cause large and unwanted by-catch of other endangered or protected species. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">Codes: 1=legally protected species; 2=low fecundity and extreme vulnerability to over-fishing; 3=capture techniques extremely habitat destructive;4=health hazard due to ciguatera or metal bioaccumulation. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">This list is not complete and final. Items may shift from one category to another at some time. New updates and some great seafood recipes will be regularly published at the WWF website: </span><a linkindex="71" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.wwf.or.id/"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;"><u>www.wwf.or.id </u></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;">or </span><a linkindex="72" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.panda.org/"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff8141;"><u>www.panda.org </u></span></a></div>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-4285297983064801412007-07-03T15:18:00.000+07:002007-07-03T15:21:45.807+07:00World's Smallest Fish In Sumatra<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.playfuls.com/scitech/gimages/ITnews903.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.playfuls.com/scitech/gimages/ITnews903.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Scientists Discover World's Smallest Fish In Sumatra</span><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">When talking about fish, size is the most important thing. The bigger the fish, the better the tale the fisherman will tell for years to come. But scientists are a peculiar type of fishermen, as they’ve discovered the world's smallest fish in a tropical acidic swamp where the water is the color of strong tea. Females grow no bigger than 7.9mm (0.31in) and the male measures up to 10.3mm.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Scientists had thought that little if anything could survive in such peat swamps but have been astonished to discover several species of small fish including the latest specimen, named Paedocypris progenetica. A Swiss biologist, Maurice Kottelat, and Tan Heok Hui from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research in Singapore, discovered the fish by sieving the water of the Sumatran swamps with a fine-mesh fishing net.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">They sent specimens of the fish to the Natural History Museum in London where Ralf Britz, a zoologist and fish expert, identified it as a species new to science.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Dr Britz said that it was a member of the carp family. The males were distinguished by having a pair of large pelvic fins which were manipulated by well-developed muscles. "This is one of the strangest fish that I've seen in my whole career. It's tiny, it lives in acid and it has these bizarre grasping fins," Dr Britz said. The peat swamps on Sumatra were extensively damaged in 1997 by forest fires and are threatened by logging, the growth of towns and agriculture. Several populations of the tiny fish have already been lost, he said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">"I hope we'll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely," Dr Britz said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The forest swamps of Indonesia were once thought to harbour very few animals but recent research shows that they have a rich and diverse range of wildlife that appears to be unique to this habitat. "These forest swamps harbour an unusually large number of species. The water is poor in minerals and this may restrain bone growth leading to the adaptation of being small," Dr Britz said. Adult Paedocypris fish are transparent and resemble juvenile larval fish despite being sexually mature, with males sporting the well-endowed pelvic fins.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Unique among fish, males of the species have pelvic fins with tough pads on the front, which may help to hang on to females during mating, the researchers propose.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Paedocypris has many "larval" features, such as a rudimentary skull that leaves the brain exposed. Evolutionary pressures may have prompted the fish to develop special fins to survive its environment, the team reports.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The "tiny and bizarre" fish is also the smallest known freshwater vertebrate, the team said.</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-80558775143321627082007-07-03T14:49:00.000+07:002007-07-03T14:54:08.343+07:00Sailing Free as Crew on a Yacht<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Story and photos by Thomas H. Booth</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/Feature2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/Feature2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">In any city of the world where land touches the sea there’ll be a yacht club or marina where visitors who show signs of enthusiasm will be welcomed by boat owners—some of whom may offer more than just conversation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of equal importance for traveling visitors are the bulletin boards of yacht clubs found all over the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Micronesia—from Honolulu to Hong Kong.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the Yacht Club in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands on Guadalcanal, we met an Englishman who, over a welcome cold beer, announced that he was running his 35-foot power boat down the Guadalcanal coast to Marau Sound and he would welcome company. The sea was blue and placid, Marau Sound was a multi-hued place of beauty, and on the 2-day passage our new friend provided unlimited measures of island lore. Nothing could have been better.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Penang and Langkowi—islands off the west coast of Malaysia—yacht club bulletin boards are rich in both commercial and private sailing offers for trips to nearby Sumatra, up into Thailand, and down to Singapore.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But it was in Hong Kong that a bulletin board notice paid off most handsomely.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">We had been invited to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to celebrate a friend’s birthday. At one point midway between festivities and facilities (the men’s room), I came upon the club’s bulletin board and was struck by a prominent notice: “Newly constructed Twin Diesel Trawler 40 requires crew for voyage to Singapore. Contact George Harriman, 5-68724.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Foregoing the men’s room, I hastened to fetch my wife, Virginia, who guardedly agreed that it wouldn’t hurt to look into the matter. A few days later, over eggs Benedict at the American Club, the youngish American owner told us that his voyage would take him to Singapore, where he had permanent crew waiting to help him continue the trip on to Penang, Colombo, Aden, Jeddah, Suez, and finally Greece—all of them 1,500 to 2,000 miles apart.One purpose of the voyage, he said, was to test the theories of Robert P. Beebe, a yacht designer who maintained that with well-functioning diesels and a good hull one could go anywhere—on schedule and in comfort. Beebe, according to Harriman, spoke with admiration of the purity of sailing, but felt that sailing imposed a certain tyranny upon the crew.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Harriman required two warm bodies who could stand wheel watch, do some cooking, and share expenses. He said we’d do, and after a short pause we agreed to go.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To make a long story short, Mr. Beebe was nearly right. We did complete the 10-day voyage on schedule—but not without a measure of high seas and discomfort. Still, this is what the sea is all about, and I continue to recommend yacht club bulletin boards as a source of adventure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">One final thought: Do not blindly accept any offer for going to sea without quietly checking it out. Some boats are unseaworthy and some skipper-owners can be scoundrels. I’ve always been lucky.</span><br /><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-9811849434840221952007-07-03T14:30:00.000+07:002007-07-03T14:46:53.805+07:00Take Cargo Ships to Remote Pacific Islands<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Story and photos by Thomas H. Booth</span><br /></span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature1.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are freighters and there are freighters. (For full information on the intercontinental variety see the May/June 2001 issue of this magazine.) But the fleet of ships that sail among the island groups in the South Pacific and Micronesia—copra boats, island traders, government field service ships, mission boats, and inter-island ferries—are rarely mentioned and are largely unknown to travel agents. They lie ready and willing to transport passengers into the “back of beyond.” So if in your round-the-world travels you want to go where tourists never tread, try hitching a ride on a local cargo ship. It’s easier than you might think. Let’s start in the South Pacific.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">French Polynesia</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">A little beyond Papeete (on Tahiti), where the land hooks out to form the harbor, are the inter-island ship docks. Taxi out there and have a look at whatever ships are in port. Stroll aboard any vessel that looks interesting and ask where they’re going, for how long, the fare, and if you can see one of their cabins. (It helps if you speak a little French, but you can always make yourself understood.) If a certain ship appeals to you, go to their shipping office. This is what you’ll find:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the Society Islands (the islands to the west of Tahiti—Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora, and Maupiti): The ships of the Compagnie Francais Maritime de Tahiti make 4- to 6-day voyages to most of the islands. Cabin fares are about $200. Deck passage, on a covered deck but with no bedding, is about $100. No food is supplied on most of the ships, so come aboard with a relaxed attitude and plenty of rations (which are easily obtained in Papeete).</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature4.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature4.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Inter-island Ship</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">A small inter-island ship in the Soloman Islands</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the Tuamotus</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 69 islands of this group of jewel-like atolls lie to the east of Tahiti and cover an immense patch of the ocean. To get there, check with the Compagnie Francais Maritime de Tahiti. Their ships provide cabin class or deck passage and plenty of local color but no food. A week’s voyage will run about $180. Also be sure to check around the docks in Papeete for a copra boat and experience the warts and all of the romance of South Sea cruising. Some ships provide a cabin and meals for voyages of 10 or so days for about $250.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the Marquesas</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">These rugged, green, mysteriously beautiful and remote islands 750 miles east of Tahiti bear such magical names as Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, and Fatu Hiva. To get to them—and to the Tuamotus as well—you’ve got two choices: By far the most comfortable one is a cargo ship named Aranui, operated by the Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime. Travel agents in the U.S. know about her. She carries 60-100 passengers in both cabin and dormitory class. Fares for the 16-day voyage range between $1,780 and $3,300.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The other option is aboard a ship a bit more Polynesian. The Taporo V of the Compagnie Francais Maritime de Tahiti is a trading vessel that makes a 15-day voyage to the Tuamotus and the Marquesas. Fares, including cabin and meals, come to $750. Look at the ship in Papeete.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Cook Islands</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rarotonga, with its forested mountains, verdant coastal plain, and fringing reef, is the principal island of the group. Its beauty when first seen will cause a gasp. Sea travel in the Cooks is only for the hardiest and most flexible of voyagers, but the benefits are worth it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the Northern Group (Penryhn, Manihiki, Puka Puka, and Palmerston): The Tapi Taio Shipping Company in Avarua, Rarotonga has a ship named the Tai Moana, a small, spartan vessel that makes the 800-mile run to all the islands. Because only one of them, Penhryn, has a safe lagoon and wharf, the ship must stay at sea and use whaleboats to unload cargo and passengers. Fare for the 8- to 10-day voyage, with a crew-share cabin and meals, is about $275.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the Southern Group (Aitutaki, Atiu, Mitiaro, and Mauke): A somewhat larger ship, the Maungeroa of the Tapi Taio Company, visits the closer islands—150 or so miles from Rarotonga. Fare for cabin and food on the several-day trip is about $160</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Western Samoa</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is a delightful destination even if you don’t go to sea. For one elusive but wonderful opportunity write well ahead of time to the Office for Tokelau Affairs, Apia, Western Samoa and ask about the sailing dates of their chartered ship. It carries 12 cabin and 68 deck passengers on a voyage of eight to nine days and stops at each of the three atolls—Fakaofa, Nukumonu, and Atafu. None have ports, so the ship must stand off while whale boats negotiate the openings in the reef to pick up the only export, copra. Good luck to you. I’ve come close but never been successful. I keep trying.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Kingdom of Tonga</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Polynesia’s oldest monarchy consists of three main island groups—Tongatapu, the capital, Ha’apai, and Vavau.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To Ha’apai: This archipelago scattered over a large stretch of the sea about 100 miles north of Tongatapu consists of dozens of low-lying atolls. Lifuka is the administrative center. To get there by sea, check with the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia in Tongatapu and ask about the Olovaha. This ship—more inter-island ferry than cargo ship—sails from Tongatapu every Tuesday and fetches up in Lifuka 12 hours later. Fare, with cabin but no meals, is about $18.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature3.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0107/feature3.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">To Vavau</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The same ship leaves Lifuka in the evening and arrives at Vavau the next afternoon. Fare with cabin is $18. I’m sure you’ll agree with the yachtsmen who have found Vavau. They know a good thing when they see it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Olavaha Cargo Ship</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Olavaha as she sails to Ha'apai and Vavau.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fiji</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The total land mass of Fiji’s 332 islands comes to about 8,000 square miles. By South Pacific standards it’s a big, diverse country, and among her beaches, mountains, towns, and cities there’s much to see and do. The harbor at Suva always has numbers of trading vessels, inter-island boats, and copra ships tied up at the docks. As in Tahiti, it’s easy to walk aboard and talk things over with the captain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Nadi, on the other side of the island from Suva, everyone knows about the glamorous cruise boats that sail off to the dozens of idyllic islands of the Yasawas and Mamanucas. Fares for these 7- to 8-day trips run about $800. However, the better and much less expensive choice is the Kaunitoni, from Suva to the Lau Group (east of Fiji, towards Tonga). On its 10-day run the Kaunitoni makes something like 12 stops at green and volcanic islands to deliver cargo and pick up copra. Fare for the voyage, with cabin, is about $200. While no food is provided, the ship does offer cooking facilities and utensils.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vanuatu</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Port Vila on Efate Island, the capital of Vanuatu, the harbor is right in the center of town and the vessels tied up there are available for examination. Ask around the wharves about the Konanda, the Lali, and the Onma II. These and other ships like them are on the elemental side, but for $14 a day, simple meals included, you’ll be taken to remote outer islands—places such as Malekula, where they were killing and eating each other as late as 1930, and Pentecost island, where men tie vines to their ankles and leap out of trees. You’ll be taken ashore by canoe to other islands where you’ll be stared at, smiled at, and given the chance to buy some good carvings. The outer islands of Vanuatu will stay in your memory forever.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Solomon Islands</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Honiara, on Guad-alcanal, the capital of this independent nation, offers visitors all amenities but few tourists are seen. If this is the capital, think what the myriad outer islands are like.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Go to the Coral Sea Shipping Company and ask about the sailing of the Iuminao. This ship, carrying 50 deck passengers, also has two first class cabins, but meals are not provided. Think of it as camping in an air conditioned cabin with a small refrigerator and a full bath. Food is easily purchased at Honiara shops. On its 3- to 4-day voyage to Gizo in the Western Provinces it makes 11 stops—all picture-postcard quality.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For other ships to remote areas visit the local yacht club in Honiara and talk to some of the members about other destinations. Maybe, as once happened to us, you’ll be invited on short cruise.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Papua New Guinea</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The eastern half of the second largest island in the world includes a cluster of islands off its north coast—New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, Manus, The Trobriands, and scores of smaller islands. These areas, as well as the north coast of New Guinea, offer everything an adventurer or escapist might want, and one can expect a good meal, a cold drink, and a fair bed every night.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ships can easily be found. We’ve sailed away on several of them just by approaching the captain. Ask about trips up the Sepik River, to the Trobriands, New Britain, Samarai—almost anywhere they go. Fares are reasonable, and some of the ships are quite comfortable. So it goes in the South Pacific.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Micronesia</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 2,100 “tiny islands” of the Pacific, mostly north of the Equator, are scattered over three million square miles of the sea between Hawaii and the Philippines and make up four new countries: The Republic of the Marshalls, The Federated States of Micronesia. The Republic of Palau, and The Northern Marianas Islands. Accommodations and food are good. People are friendly. English is spoken. There are no unusual health problems. And American currency is used.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some seasonably comfortable Govern-ment Field Service ships sail to some of the most remote, often exotic, islands in the world. Pohnpei, Yap, Majuro, and Palau are the best places to find the ships. You’ll sail away with a collection of island administrators, doctors, a judge, or maybe a dentist, on working voyages. Check with the Field Service Office in each of these places. Expect to pay, with cabin and meals, about seven cents a mile plus $8 a day. You just have to be on hand when a ship is in port. Shipping offices rarely reply to people requesting space or information.</span><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-70361233113165592932007-07-03T13:56:00.002+07:002007-07-03T14:03:14.503+07:00An Island of Your Own<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/6plane1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/6plane1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Soft sand under your feet, warm clear waters and gorgeous undersea life at your doorstep: Andrew Greene samples a piece of paradise.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The bay at the front of my simple cottage is a magical place. With my feet up on the cottage’s bamboo railing, a daybreak coffee in my hand, a dark blue belt spills across the bay marking the boundary to the deep waters. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The sun climbs above the shadowy humps of Seraya Besar Island in the sea. On my side of the azure border, the calm waters are a blue so pale that it could be considered to be tan or even white.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">On the belt’s other side, the waters seemingly continue on forever, their blueness eternally increasing. Each shade represents a different submerged world.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My first morning on Seraya Kecil Island, with the tide fully in, I slip on my flippers, don my mask and snorkel and sit in the water. I tilt forward, lay flat on my belly and begin to pull my way, one handful of sand at a time, through the knee-deep water. The water is very clear and the soft bottom is less than an arm’s length away. A few sandy, nearly translucent, fish dart out of my path as I float on my way above them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Five meters seaward, I come to a bed of sea grass. Here I begin to see more marine life. Crabs crab their way through the thick green dancing fronds. Their poppy-seed flick eyes dart and blink with panic as my pink bulk floats overhead. These are small crabs, less than the diameter of a Malang apple and are in no danger of making it onto my dinner plate.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Red starfish, large, stiff, five pointed things with black nodules running down the crest of each arm, likewise make their home in this grass bed. These too, I swim over the top of. They remain stoic, fortified with the nonchalant character for which all starfish are famous.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">An expanse of sea urchins lies just toward the end of the sea grass.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I carefully paddle my way past these thorny challenges and into the world where the true wonders begin, the coral garden. To use the tired cliché that snorkeling above a coral reef is like looking at an aquarium is a bit like saying that meeting an alien is the same as watching ET.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Coral covers the bed below; mounds of brain coral, forests of branch coral and horizontal expanses of table coral. The reef does not seem to have one true bottom. It is made up of layers and shelves and outcroppings and tunnels and cracks, all homes, shelters and hunting grounds to creatures doing what creatures do in any ecological system. Fighting, breeding, hiding, stalking and feeding are all on display below.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Colorful anemones expand and contact and sway to and fro, harvesting microscopic nutrients from the nutrient-rich marine atmosphere. From between the anemones’ poisoned tentacles scurry families of clownfish. Here in the bay, the first family I spy is a trio of skunk clownfish, named for the white stripe painted down along their tops from nose to tail. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Other guests to the island have mentioned sea snakes and sharks. I have not seen either. But I do see many large barrel sponges, their openings large enough to take a rest within. I dive down to one particularly large barrel sponge, its supporting ribs as thick and corded as a weight lifter’s wrist, to find a lionfish in full bloom deep within.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">This turns out not to be the only lionfish I come across this day. On the swim back to shore I meet another lionfish hovering, completely motionless, over a bump of coral. Its fins fanned wide, supported by a rack of poisonous ribs. Its heavy slung jaw is lowered and squared and ready for any unsuspecting fish to wander into range. It is the perfect ambush predator.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I swim a circular route, giving the lionfish’s poisonous fins a wide berth and make it back over the grass bed and onto the beach and walk up to my cottage.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I have traveled to Seraya Kecil Island from Flores’ westernmost port of Labuan Bajo. To the east of the Wallace Line it is markedly drier and browner in appearance than Bali, Java and Sumatra.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/6plane3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/6plane3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Labuan Bajo is just an hour’s flight from Bali and Seraya Kecil is an hour’s boat journey from there. It is also possible to travel to Flores overland and oversea. I made the journey in four days by bus and ferry from Jakarta.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The island has only the one 10-cottaged resort for visitors to stay at. A night with a free breakfast is Rp 100,000 and the boat ride to the island is free. The downside is that electricity is generator-powered and available only a few hours nightly. That is long enough to recharge cell phones and cameras and pump fresh water into bathroom basins, but not long enough to have a climate-controlled sleep. Nonetheless, the island is popular with those travelers who have made it to Flores.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The resort is operated by the Gardena Hotel of Labuan Bajo. There is one restaurant on the island which is also the snorkeling gear center, front desk and library. It serves a limited menu of fresh fish during three set times during the day and evening.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Paulus, the manager, has worked here for four years. He is also the boat captain that carries guests to the island from Gardena. His wife is the cook.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In addition to the guests, Paulus is fond of turtles. He visits fish markets on the mainland and purchases any turtle eggs he finds for Rp 1,000 per egg. “I love turtles,” he says. “I don’t want the fishermen to sell the eggs for eating.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">He says that after bringing the eggs to the island they require up to 60 days to hatch. He then keeps the hatchlings in plastic washing tubs in back of the restaurant, feeding them bits of fish and changing their seawater daily until they are large enough to safely release into the ocean.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">He says that he has recently freed 60 baby turtles and only has a few to show me. He brings out two who are immediate hits with the small gathering of guests in the restaurant. Cameras pop out and the hard-shelled infants are immortalized in photos that will surely be shown in photo albms in Europe. Then they are put back in a bucket to fatten up further.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">As its name suggests, Seraya Kecil is a small island, much smaller that its sister island Seraya Besar. It consists of 10 hills with none taller than 200 meters. To the south, behind the resort, over a hill and across a saddle, sits a fishing village of 50 families.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Being arid and lacking fresh water, there is no farming; a walk through the hills leads to encounters with grazing goats, the odd deer, leafless trees and many blocks of crumbling red rock overlooking grand seascapes. Though hot, dry and barren it is a fine chuck of land to explore and possesses spots from which to shoot panoramic photos or simply sit for a picnic prepared below at the restaurant.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The island is also a fantastic place from which to explore Komodo or Rinca, the two main dragon visiting islands. Boats are easy to charter through the restaurant and more inexpensive than those rented from Labuan Bajo.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">For those looking for a real weekend getaway, those already on their way to see the dragons or those traipsing further east along the drips and drops of the archipelago, Seraya Kecil Island is well worth a detour.</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-88641518249113725772007-07-02T11:29:00.000+07:002007-07-02T11:36:10.522+07:00When Fishing Turns Deadly<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">from: Enviromental Justice Foundation</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">http://www.ejfoundation.org</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ejfoundation.org/images/section_piratefishing_left_06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ejfoundation.org/images/section_piratefishing_left_06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">EJF has just returned from North Sumatra in Indonesia, where we have been training the Indonesian NGO JALA. This group is working and campaigning with traditional fisherfolk to end the impacts on fishing communities and marine biodiversity from illegal trawlers. Supposedly banned in Indonesia since 1980, trawling is wiping out local fish stocks and with them the livelihoods of traditional fishermen. Unfortunately, the Indonesian Government has consistently failed to enforce its own laws, and anger and frustration on the part of local fishing communities over their decrease in income and this lack of government action has resulted in an ongoing and tragic conflict.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ejfoundation.org/modules/PagEd/medipics/nice%20catch-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ejfoundation.org/modules/PagEd/medipics/nice%20catch-1.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clashes between traditional fishermen and trawlers have led to injury and loss of life on both sides; many fishermen have been injured, disappeared or died. In fact, JALA estimates that this terrible conflict has resulted in over 200 casualties in North Sumatra over the last 15 years. The most recent deadly episode occurred in February and tragically led to both kidnapping and loss of life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">“They brought my husband home in a coffin, and told me he had been killed by trawlers. I only saw photos of his body, he’d been stabbed all over…” - Local fisherman’s widow</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ejfoundation.org/modules/PagEd/medipics/IMG_4007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.ejfoundation.org/modules/PagEd/medipics/IMG_4007.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">“The harsh reality of what we were seeing in Sumatra was beyond belief. Literally thousands of fisherfolk and their families are being driven further and further into poverty, while the trawlers simply carry on their illegal fishing with impunity. At one point during a field investigation we could see 68 trawlers around the traditional fishing craft we were in, all of which dwarfed our vessel, and all of which were inside the demarked fishing zone upon which the local fishermen rely. Perhaps most tragic of all is that every single one of the traditional fishermen I spoke to knows someone who has been injured or killed in the conflict.” - Duncan Copeland, EJF Campaigner</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">With support from EJF, JALA is promoting peaceful solutions to the conflict, and is working to expose the awful consequences of the illegal trawling activities. Further film and editing training from the EJF team has contributed to the production of JALA’s first documentary "Stop Trawling", highlighting both the environmental and social impacts of trawlers. This trip we also worked with JALA to further develop the NGO’s research and campaign expertise, and the production of a report on illegal trawling in Sumatra.</span><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-46228670172610517872007-07-02T11:02:00.000+07:002007-07-02T11:15:53.608+07:00Gone fishing<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Inside Indonesia</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">no. 52 October-December 1997 </span><br /></span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/archives/photosforsale/idoa_jermal_dock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/archives/photosforsale/idoa_jermal_dock.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">AHMAD SOFIAN explores the lives of young people on hundreds of isolated fishing platforms in the Malacca Straits.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The problem of child labour is not new to Indonesia. Children have long helped in farm or domestic work. But recent economic development has driven capitalists to look to children as sources of cheap labour to push up their profits. Should we just accept this as normal?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">One example is the exploitation of child labour on fish traps, or jermal, off the east coast of North Sumatra. This exploitation has been hidden from the public eye for too long.</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian/images/jermal1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian/images/jermal1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Jermal</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The jermal is a fishing platform at a distance of 15-25 km from the shore. Some are even further out, though others, such as the small fish traps in Langkat waters, are less than 10 km from the beach. Jermal are on average 20 by 40 m in area, but some measure 50x70 m.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">About a third of the platform area is occupied by a house. The workers use it to rest, and also for boiling and storing fish. The jermal is made of planks sawn from the nibong palm, brought from Aceh and Langkat in motor boats. The jermal are built in around 15-30 m of water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The large fishing nets on the jermal are known as tangkul and keroncong, both about 10x20 m in size. These are sunk into the sea under the jermal. Every two hours they are lifted out, emptied and sunk again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jermal are found in four regencies in North Sumatra, namely Langkat, Deli Serdang, Labuhan Batu and Asahan. According to data collected by our Study Centre for Child Protection (a non-government organisation in North Sumatra) there were about 1900 jermal in these four regencies in 1995. The North Sumatra Department of Fisheries, however, says it knows of only 369 registered jermal - 23 in Langkat, 81 in Deli Serdang, 192 in Asahan, and 73 in Labuhan Batu. Presumably the department has been unable to keep track of new jermal being built amidst the isolation of the open sea, accounting for their low figures.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Each jermal has on average 6-10 children working on it. If we use the higher number of jermal, observed by the author from several sources, the number of child labourers working on them is 12,000 to 19,000. Even with the Department of Fisheries data, the number would still be around 2,000-3,700.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jermal are unique to North Sumatra. Elsewhere they are found only in the waters off Cirebon, West Java. But their construction and working system is different from those off North Sumatra.</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian/images/jermal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian/images/jermal.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Daily routine</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The total number of workers on a jermal is around 10-16. Of these, six to ten are children aged 14 to 16 years old, and sometimes as young as twelve. There are also foremen and their deputies who supervise the work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Working hours are not constant. They depend largely upon the seasons, and whether it is high tide (when there are many fish) or low tide (when fish are few and waves big). At high tide, work can start at 2am and not finish until midnight, while at low tide they work from 7am to 3pm.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Workers have to pull in the nets with hand winches in a process called milling. The nets are milled by all hands together, each of them holding a winch, of which there are ten or fifteen on a jermal. Worker safety depends largely upon the cooperation between workers during the mill. It is easy to fall into the sea or be struck by the winch they are holding. In 1995 a jermal labourer off Labuhan Batu fell to the sea and drowned tragically for this reason.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Besides the milling process which is done every two hours, workers have to sort the fish they have caught. Fish are then boiled and dried in the sun. So it goes on every day. There is little time to rest.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/archives/photosforsale/indo_jermal05-thumb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/archives/photosforsale/indo_jermal05-thumb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Welfare</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">With such a heavy working burden, jermal owners should pay attention to the workers' welfare. But the reality is quite the reverse. The vegetables, chillies and onions that are dropped from the land once every two weeks are only enough for four to five days. The other days the workers only have rice and fish or cuttlefish. And the foremen only allow them to eat certain fish. If they are found out eating the forbidden fish - valuable large fish such as tuna - their wages will be deducted.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nor does their salary conform to the high working burden and dangerous risks. jermal child labourers are only paid around Rp 30,000-Rp 75,000 (AU$ 16-42) per month. The amount depends on how long they work and of course, on the mercy of the owners of the jermal. They only receive the money after three months work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Once every three months the workers may go home to rest for a few days. If they go home before three months are up they get no pay. Often only a few of those who come home to land will want to go back to the jermal. To fill the vacancy the owners pay recruiters to get new child labourers. They sometimes do this by deceiving them with offers of work in factories. To make their work easier, recruiters usually look for their prey around bus terminals, offering homeless children there tantalisingly high salaries.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The description above gives an indication that the problem of jermal child labour is not only a labour problem. There are at least three aspects to the problem. First, the aspect of human rights, in which there has been an exploitation of the jermal child labourers. Second, the violation of labour law, in which normative stipulations such as minimum wages, maximum hours, and a ban on child labour are not observed. The minimum wage in Sumatra is Rp 4,650 a day, which works out to Rp 139,500 a month if workers take no break. And third, there is the issue of a breakdown in the social system when children aged 14-16 years, who ought to be at school, are forced to work, moreover in a dangerous and isolated place.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Incidents</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Until now there has been no serious attempt on the part of the relevant authorities to solve the issue of child labour employed on the jermal off the eastern coast of North Sumatra. Incident after incident occurs. The case is exposed in the mass media, representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs) respond, as do some members of the provincial parliament, and then, tragically, the fuss disappears.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The children working on the jermal still experience the worst forms of exploitation. There is no school for them, and no welfare. The working hours are long, and there are unfriendly waves in bad conditions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In the period 1993-1996 many cases involving jermal child labour were exposed in the mass media. Many more were never exposed at all. In general a case is exposed when parents complain to the provincial parliament, or when a NGO receives information and conveys it to the press.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">One striking event was the escape of four jermal child labourers from Sialang Buah, Deli Serdang, at the end of September 1996. The four were Adi (16), Inan (16), Harun (16) and Mistriadi (17). They came from the villages Air Joman and Bandar Tinggi. They succeeded in saving themselves from the Harapan Jaya jermal by jumping off with a plank. They floated in the Malacca Straits for seven hours before being saved by traditional fishermen. Apparently these four children escaped because of the harsh conditions on the jermal, and because their salary was not paid.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The case was taken up by a commission of North Sumatra's provincial parliament. They accepted the four's complaints, and insisted that action should be taken against the businessman who owned the jermal. Some NGOs in North Sumatra supported the initiative. As a result, an out of court settlement was made between the children's parents and the employer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Such an escape was not new. In early 1994 two jermal child labourers from the same area also plunged into the Malacca Straits and swam ashore because they had been treated inhumanely. Then in early 1995 four children aged 15 to 16 years penetrated the savages of the sea to escape from their jermal in Labuhan Bilik, Asahan Regency, because they couldn't stand the mistreatment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In 1994 three children were abducted and sent to work on a jermal off Pantai Labu, Deli Serdang. The three boys were Roy, Lungguk, and Minus. They were tricked into going to work on the jermal by offers of a tantalisingly high salary.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Worker safety is another important issue. There are no safeguards on a jermal. Moreover, the children who work there often do not come from the coastal areas and so cannot imagine what life on one is like.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Dilemma?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Our surveys show that children working on jermal gain almost no economic advantage. In practice they are not working children any more, but children who are forced to work, as forced labour. They lose not only their future because of dropping out of school, but also fail to gain the income expected from the work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Child labour on the jermal is ugly evidence of the downside of an economic transition characterised by labour surplus and family poverty. Indeed, there is a dilemma between these labour surplus conditions on the one hand, and the demand for the protection of child labour on the other hand. This dilemma creates an obstacle in eradicating child labour.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The pragmatic argument is often made that under these conditions it is better to tolerate the employment of children in jermal and elsewhere. However, though some research claims child labour helps the family economy, in our view it merely makes them sink deeper into exploitation, as the case of the jermal children indicates.</span><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Ahmad Sofian is executive secretary of the Study Centre for Child Protection (Pusat Kajian & Perlindungan Anak, PKPA) in Medan, North Sumatra. The Centre can be contacted at Jl Mustafa no. 30, Medan 20238, North Sumatra, Indonesia, tel +62-61-611943, fax +62-61-613342.<br /><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-57066265772694520512007-06-28T13:06:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:49:12.687+07:00Indonesia<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;"> from Indonesia Oceanic Cetacean Program</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/volcanosunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/volcanosunset.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Indonesia's 17,000 islands make up by far the largest and most varied archipelago on Earth and span over 5000 equatorial kilometres between Asia and Australia. Its total coastline extends over 80.000 km - close to one third of the Earth's circumreference at the equator! So it is with good reason that Indonesians think of their country as 'Tanah air kita' - Our land and water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Indonesian Archipelago consists of some of the largest islands in the world which rise up from deep oceanic trenches. Some contain dense jungle slopes and huge mountains - capped with ice and snow, despite their tropical coastlines!</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Indonesian islands names conjure up images of exotic and unknown South East Asia destinations: Bali, Borneo and Komodo; Lombok and New Guinea; the Spice Islands of Halmahera, Sumatra and Sulawesi, also formerly known as Celebes. From freezing glaciers to coral reefs, the sheer diversity of island scenes and life defies the imagination.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">"Some Indonesian islands contain dense jungle slopes and huge mountains - capped with ice and snow, despite their tropical coastlines!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The enormous number of Indonesia's islands and their location in a tropical, equatorial climate has produced an unrivalled diversity of plant and animal life. With only 1% of the world's land area, Indonesia is home to over 10% of all mammal species, and 17 % of all birds. Indonesia is over 80% water. For marine creatures it is a vast melting pot, at the influence of both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The mingling of life from these two great oceans around thousands of islands has created the greatest diversity of marine life on Earth.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/trevallyside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/trevallyside.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">The ocean currents here are rich in nutrients. They're responsible for the world's most colourful and diverse coral reefs. So vast is the archipelago that some of the best reefs are barely known. There are over 500 species of coral, and 3000 species of fish as well as 30 species of whales and dolphins. The Sulawesi Sea is a highway for sperm whales, oceanic dolphins and other large marine life such as sea turtles and manta rays.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"For marine creatures Indonesia is a vast melting pot, at the influence of both the Pacific and Indian Oceans"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Indonesia is also the world's fourth largest country and home to a population of 195 million people - mainly moderate Muslim with substantial Christian, Hindu and Buddist minorities. Indigenous tribes still exist in the remote reaches of Indonesia, from Kalimantan to Irian Jaya. (Map of Reseach Areas).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This expanding population is largely dependent of the ocean's health for its own well being. The combination of huge population pressures on rich, productive marine resources illustates the need and urgency for sustainable, minimum impact practices amonst all nature-based industries operating in Indonesia.</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-49970156327344257092007-06-28T12:57:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:49:12.688+07:00Rare Marine Life, Remote Locations<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">from Indonesia Oceanic Cetacean Program</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/humpbackbreach2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/humpbackbreach2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">A large proportion of the Indonesian species of whales and dolphin we see are considered rare in other parts of the world. Some are listed as endangered species. Orcas, pygmy and dwarf sperm whales, pilot and melon-headed whales, false and pygmy killer whales, Bryde's and minke whales, Risso's, Fraser's, rough-toothed, spotted and spinner dolphins, as well as pelagics such as tuna and marlin are all part of the living Sulawesi Sea.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sperm whales and the majority of other oceanic cetaceans frequenting the area are highly specialised, deep-diving oceanic predators. In fact, if we like to consider ourselves divers because we occassionally submerge, then these creatures should be categorised as ' surfacers', as they occassionally surface! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sperm whales, for example, spend about 10 minutes out of every hour on the surface. This means there are only around a dozen short surface intervals for each individual whale during daylight hours... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To be at the right place at the right time is one of the most difficult, yet essential necessities for a successful oceanic cetacean research program. Sophisticated hydrophones and other acoustic equipment, constant visual surveying and lots of experience is required to have close encounters while causing minimal disturbance.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our research methods are scientifically designed to ensure minimal disturbance to cetaceans, yet it allows for discrete approaches to obtain positive photographic identifications of individual whales and dolphins. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/siaovolcano.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/siaovolcano.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">APEX has been photographically studying cetaceans in Indonesian waters for numerous years now. As a result, we have an intimate knowledge of the whereabouts and biological hotspots frequented by these rare and spectacular marine mammals. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This information is then combined with preferred camera positions and anticipated whale behaviours to create ample and superb opportunities to film and photograph these animals in their natural habitat. In addition, North Sulawesi and the islands of the Sangihe-Talaud Archipelago are considered one of the most scenic in Indonesia. </span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/3SW-U5-04-LOWRES.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/3SW-U5-04-LOWRES.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our Oceanic Cetacean Film & Photographic Expeditions are of the highest standards, designed for discerning environmental media professionals. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The expedition vessel is a stable platform, well equipped and sea worthy 15m sailing yacht. Expeditions are based in Manado, North Sulawesi and easily accessable with directl flights from Singapore, Phillipines, Bali, Java and other Indonesian islands. Expeditions to other IOCP research areas such as Komodo National Park and Nusa Tengara are possible.</span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-48767085408371251732007-06-28T12:45:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:49:12.688+07:00The Amazing Celebes Sea<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">from Indonesia Oceanic Cetacean Program</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/dolphinsplash2-close-up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/dolphinsplash2-close-up.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">The warm, clear waters off northern Sulawesi, previously known as Celebes, are an exceptionally rich marine life hot spot. Strong oceanic currents, deep sea trenches and sea mounts, combined with active volcanic islands result in complex oceanographic features and an impressive array of rare marine life. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Celebes Sea is located in the centre of a special oceanic realm of maximum marine diversity. It is home to a great abundance of whales and dolphins, sea-turtles, manta rays, marlin and other pelagics. In addition, some of the most bio-diverse coral reefs in the world can be found here, with over 2500 fish species and close to 500 coral varieties identified to date.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Oceanic Cetacean Film & Photographic Expeditions have access to this pristine and remote region of Indonesia. It enables adventurous naturalists and multi-media professionals to experience an exceptional marine wilderness, with all creature comforts and equipment maintenance and charging facilities on board.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/spermwhaledoubleblow2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/spermwhaledoubleblow2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Indonesia Oceanic Cetacean Program (IOCP) research expertise and findings have been crucial to numerous international film makers and photographers interested in producing cetacean natural history and environmental documentaries.</span><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >"The expedition will focus on numerous rare whales and dolphin species and explores some of the most beautifully remote islands Indonesia has to offer"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/sunsetbreach2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/sunsetbreach2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our on-going studies on northern Sulawesi's sperm whales and oceanic dolphins has resulted in an intimate knowledge of the whereabouts and ecology of these rare cetaceans.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It is not unusual to have encounters with oceanic cetaceans such as sperm whales in the morning, and have a snorkel or dive on a brilliant coral reef drop-off in the afternoon! We certainly don't know of any other location world-wide where this can be done.... In fact, during our previous research season we encountered over 15 different whale and dolphin species in Northern Sulawesi alone, totalling an estimated 1500 individual animals...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the main goals of our research is to find out why such a great diversity of whales and dolphins exists here. The IOCP also contributes to biological oceanography research on apex marine predators conducted in other parts of the world.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/swheadclose.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/swheadclose.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">During the expedition, you are likely to come eye to eye with sperm whales - the most formidable of deep sea predators - as well as other oceanic cetaceans, such as pilot and melon-headed whales.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">These in-water encounters often result in spectacular imagery, and are truly inspiring and not easily forgotten. However, such encounters are not to be taken lightly and are carefully controlled by the expedition team to ensure both safety and maximum success.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/swuwsnorkeler2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.apex-environmental.com/media/swuwsnorkeler2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">All Expeditions include professional cetacean and coral reef ecology experts as part of the team. APEX Environmental has coordinated numerous successful oceanic cetacean field productions. Our participation with multi-media projects aims to:</span><br /></span> <ol style="font-family: georgia;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> increase the environmental awareness of this exceptional Indonesian marine region</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">harness support for effective cetacean conservation measures.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">focus attention on the increasing environmental impacts as a result from destructive fishing practices and activities of the region's rapidly expanding nature-based and extractive resource industries.</span></li></ol>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-19943847370169892602007-06-28T12:34:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:49:12.688+07:00Hot Spot<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">TIME, Jul. 08, 2002</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">By DAMASO REYES</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sulawesi-indonesia.com/images/selayardiveresort1.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.sulawesi-indonesia.com/images/selayardiveresort1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Self-Destruction While the island of Selayar is largely unsullied by human development, the same cannot be said of its surrounding coral reefs. It only takes a quick peek below the surface of the island's tranquil waters to see the devastating consequences of unfettered local fishing practices. The sea floor off the coast, once heralded as one of Sulawesi's richest reefs, is now a barren, white wasteland of shattered coral, eerie stillness and craters the size of a child's inflatable wading pool. The effects of dynamite fishing are hard to miss.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For years, a growing number of fishermen have been using explosive devices here to stun their prey and bring it to the surface. It takes only a few hours to bomb out an area of hundreds of square meters, securing a full haul but causing irreparable damage to the live coral at the base of a reef's ecosystem. Fishermen use homemade fertilizer bombs, dynamite and even ordnance left over from World War II. The return is quick and lucrative, netting them many times over what they would make using conventional methods. But once bombed, the area is devoid of life for decades.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Environmentalists have lobbied the Indonesian government for years to police these waters more vigilantly, but to little effect. With more than 81,000 square kilometers of coastline and 17,000 islands to patrol, the Department of Fisheries faces a herculean task, and it doesn't cost much to avert the eyes of a prying inspector. Marine biologists estimate that well in excess of half of the nation's coral reefs suffer some damage from dynamiting. Environmental education programs are having some effect, but international demand and a willingness to pay top dollar for reef delicacies like the napoleon wrasse make it difficult for conservationists to get their message across. Over the past 10 years the situation has worsened. The coral reefs of Indonesia may ultimately be a tourist destination akin to the Amazon rain forests: see them while they still exist. </span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-42347693300556928752007-06-27T13:50:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:47:41.954+07:00Ancient Fish from Jurassic era caught in North Sulawesi<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><table style="font-family: georgia;" class="descTable" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="150"> <tbody><tr> <td class="descImg"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img src="http://www.wwf.or.id/admin/file-upload/img/NWS1180365534.jpg" height="164" width="150" /></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="descImgAlt"><span style="font-size:100%;">© WWF-Indonesia, 2007</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></td> </tr> <!-- <tr> <td align="left"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td style="background-color: #C6C6A5;"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="10"><img src="images/wwf_id_rel1.gif" width="10" height="18" /></td> <td class="whiteText"><strong>Related Links </strong></td> <td width="10"><img src="images/wwf_id_rel2.gif" width="10" height="18" /></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr>--> <!-- <tr> <td style="border: 1px solid #C6C6A5; padding: 6px 2px 6px 2px; background-color: #F7FBF2;"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td class="relatedLinksList"><a href="#">Related Link 1 </a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="relatedLinksList"><a href="#">Related Link 2 </a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="relatedLinksList"><a href="#">Related Link 3 with Long Article Title </a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="relatedLinksList"><a href="#">Related Article 4 with Extra Long Article Title </a></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr>--> <tr> <td class="descFunc" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="descFunc" align="left"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="130"> <tbody><tr valign="middle"> <td width="30"><!--<img src="images/language.gif" width="16" height="16" hspace="5" align="absmiddle" />--><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></td> <td class="contentFunc" align="left" width="100"> <!-- <a href="index.php?fuseaction=news.detail&id=NWS1180346606&language=i">Indonesia</a> | <a href="index.php?fuseaction=news.detail&id=NWS1180365534&language=e&print=1">English</a></td> --> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></td></tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="descFunc" align="left"><!--<table width="130" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="middle"> <td width="30"><img src="images/print.gif" width="16" height="16" hspace="5" align="absmiddle" /> </td> <td width="100" align="left" class="contentFunc"><a href="index.php?fuseaction=news.detail&id=NWS1180365534&language=e&print=1&print=1" target="_blank">Printable Version</a></td> </tr> </table>--><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="descFunc" align="left"><!--<table width="130" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="middle" onfocus="MM_openBrWindow('email/dsp_email.php?QS=fuseaction=news.detail*id=NWS1180365534*language=e*print=1','','width=440,height=430')"> <td width="30"><img src="images/email.gif" width="16" height="16" hspace="5" /></td> <td width="100" align="left" class="contentFunc"><a href="#" onclick="MM_openBrWindow('email/dsp_email.php?QS=fuseaction=news.detail*id=NWS1180365534*language=e*print=1','','width=440,height=400')">Email This Story</a></td> </tr> </table>--></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">On Saturday, May 19 2007, a fisherman found a King of the Sea, an ancient fish biologically known as <i>Coelacanth latemeria</i>, in his fishing line in Malalayang Beach, North Sulawesi. It was the second fish found in North Sulawesi after the first finding in 1998 in Manado Tua Beach. The <i>coelacanth</i> has 130 cm length, 46 cm width and weighs 50 kg. Yustinus Lahama and his son Delfi Lahama, who found the fish are fishermen from Malalayang.<br /><br />Yustinus and his son went out fishing for their family consumption. Only 5 minutes after putting his line, he felt it has hit a big thing. He withdrew the line and found a big weird looking fish with white color spots hooked in his bait. Yustinus said "The fish was calm when it was brought on board, but then it moved violently that destroyed things on the boat."<br /><br /></span> <table align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="descImg"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img alt="" src="http://rafflesia.wwf.or.id/library/attachment/images/coelacanth2.jpg" width="150" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="descImgAlt"><span style="font-size:100%;">© WWF-Indonesia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:100%;">He didn't know what he has found, and was about to cut and cook the fish. Fortunately Darwin Papendeng an employee at Faculty of Engineering of Sam Ratulangi University, came and prevented Yustinus from consuming it. Darwin Papendeng recognized the fish as <i>Coelacanth</i>, and contacted the Provincial Fisheries Agency, Tourism Agency, and mass media in North Sulawesi to inform about the discovery of <i>coelacanth</i>.<br /><br /><br /><br />This event has drew attentions from the Governor of North Sulawesi, Drs. Sinyo H. Sarundajang and Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fishery, Mr. Freddy Numberi who was in Manado at that moment. First, they put the coelacanth in Bahu Mall, then they moved it to a safer aquarium in City Extra Kalasey Restaurant.<br /><br />"It inspired Sarundajang to make this fish as the mascot for World Ocean Conference in Manado in the year 2009," said Angelique Batuna, WWF-Indonesia Project Leader Bunaken Program.<br /><br /></span> <table align="right"><tbody><tr><td class="descImg"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img alt="" src="http://rafflesia.wwf.or.id/library/attachment/images/coelacanth3.jpg" width="150" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="descImgAlt"><span style="font-size:100%;">© WWF-Indonesia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:100%;">Unfortunately the coelacanth could stand only for 17 hours, and died at 1 a.m Sunday. It is now in the process of preservation.<br /><br />To further observe and preserve the fish, the government will invite an <i>icthyologist</i> (fish expert) and will launch the results in a press conference next week.<br /><br />The first known about the fabulous <i>Coelacanth</i> ("see-la-kanth"), that 400 million years old "living fossil" fish, swims on. Pre-dating the dinosaurs by millions of years and once thought to have gone extinct with them, 65 million years ago, the Coelacanth with its "missing link" "proto legs" was "discovered" alive and well in 1938. An adult Coelacanth can grow at least to 200 cm in length and weigh 100 kg.<br /><br /></span> <table align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="descImg"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img alt="" src="http://rafflesia.wwf.or.id/library/attachment/images/coelacanth1a.jpg" width="150" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="descImgAlt"><span style="font-size:100%;">© WWF-Indonesia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:100%;">On December 23, 1938, Hendrik Goosen, the captain of the trawler <i>Nerine</i> returned to the harbour at East London after a trawl around the mouth of the Chalumna River. As he frequently did, he telephoned his friend, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator at East London's small museum to see if she wanted to look over the contents of the catch for anything interesting. Coelacanths live usually found at depths of 150m below sea level, in Komoro Archipelago. In 1990, a few <i>Coelacanths</i> were caught in Mozambique, Madagaskar, and South Africa Waters. On July 30 1998, a <i>Coelacanth </i>and called it <i>raja laut</i> </span>was caught in a deep-water shark net by local fishers off the volcanic island of Manado Tua in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. This is about 10 000 km east of the Western Indian Ocean Coelacanth population. The fisher brought the fish to the house of American biologist Mark Erdmann who along with his wife Arnaz had seen a specimen in the outdoor markets the previous September. The local people were familiar with the or 'king of the sea'.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />On January 18 1980, <i>Coelacanths</i> are considered to be endangered and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). The word of <i>Coelacanth</i> is from Yunnan, <i>coelia</i>: cavity and <i>acanthus</i>: spine, it is a large marine lobe-finned fish. Ika Rachmatika S and friends from Biology Research Centre LIPI tell about different of morphology and genetic character both <i>Coelacanths latimeria chalumnae</i> from Komoro and <i>Coelacanths latimeria menadoensis</i> from Manado.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia;"><br /> <table align="center" border="1" width="550"><tbody><tr bg style="color:#999999;"><td colspan="3" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Different of <em>Latimeria chalumnae</em> (Kepulauan Komoro) and <em>Latimeria menadoensis</em> (Manado)</strong></span></td></tr><tr bg style="color:#cccccc;"><td align="center" width="100"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Kind of difference</strong></span></td><td align="center" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>Latimeria chalumnae</em></strong></span></td><td align="center" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><em>Latimeria menadoensis</em></strong></span></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="100"><span style="font-size:100%;">1. morphology and genetic character</span></td><td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;">Scale of fish is blue with white pock.</span></td><td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;">Scale of fish is brown with white pock.</span></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="100"><span style="font-size:100%;">2. meristic character</span></td><td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;">It has many back flipper scales and less tail flipper scale.</span></td><td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-size:100%;">It has less back flipper scale and many tail flipper scales.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Numerous characteristics are unique to the coelacanth among living fishes. Among them is the presence of a "rostral organ" in the snout that is part of the electro sensory system, and an intracranial joint or "hinge" in the skull that allows the anterior portion of the cranium to swing upwards, greatly enlarging the gape of the mouth. Neither of these characters exists in any other living vertebrate. Other unique anatomical features include a hollow fluid-filled "notochord" (a primitive feature in vertebrates) underlying the spinal cord and extending the length of the body.<br /><br /><br /><br />Teresia Prahesti<br /><br />From various sources</span> </p> <!--Content Ends-->Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-31918532313668822982007-05-25T13:32:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:49:12.689+07:00Serene highness in Sumbawa<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">The jakarta Post.com</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">May, 25, 2007</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:VTj3rqEMT9RPTM:http://www.turquoise-voyages.fr/destinations/surfari-sumba-sumbawa/surfari-sumba-sumbawa-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:VTj3rqEMT9RPTM:http://www.turquoise-voyages.fr/destinations/surfari-sumba-sumbawa/surfari-sumba-sumbawa-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Slip on your sandals, slap on the sunscreen and get ready to camp it up in a refined rustic retreat at Amanwana, the exclusive getaway where you-know-who stayed way back when. But don't forget your credit card, writes Bruce Emond.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It did not take long for me to experience a couple of up-close and-personal encounters with wildlife at Amanwana.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">As I settled into my tent room fronting the shore, a tiny lizard scampered out of the resort's adventure guidebook and scurried across my desk.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">After years of living in Jakarta, where the furtive cicak rules the roost even in the highest apartment buildings, it was a none too alarming encounter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The second was not so benign: Heading off to explore all the luxury resort has to offer, I came face-to-face with the glowering presence of a male monkey, his gaze fixed on the tempting fruit basket inside my room.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although I managed to give him the slip, resorting to tossing him an apple as a peace offering, it was quickly clear to me why Amanwana is a favored back-to-nature retreat for the well-heeled wishing to escape the stresses of the concrete jungle.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Aman Resorts founder Adrian Zecha has called it a "campsite", but it bears no resemblance to the rickety tent and basic outdoor plumbing of a traditional hike through the woods.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Draped along a sheltered, pristine stretch of Moyo Island off Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, the resort, in its quiet, elegant way, lives up to its name of "peaceful forest". You will not find pulsating music blaring from a shoreside disco or drunk-off their faces holidaymakers sprawled on the beach. And while there is a spa nestled in a cove up the shore, Amanwana's guests are spared cooing entreaties of, "massage, mister?".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The ills of urban living also have yet to reach the area: The sky is clear, there is no disagreeable roar of engines and the only litter is the scat of wild animals along the trails.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">With sumptuously appointed, spacious tents replete with AC and hot water shower but without the distraction of TV, it is an ultraexclusive, ultrapricey immersion in nature for those want both the creatures and creature comforts close at hand.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">That natural experience begins when one of Amanwana's fleet of vessels docks at the jetty leading to the luxury resort.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In a daily 3 p.m. ritual, general manager Ian White scoops up a handful of bread from a small basket and tosses it into the sea, inviting newly arrived guests to follow suit. And the fish, the amphibious version of Pavlov's dogs at the sound of their master's bell, gather on cue in a florid show of color visible through the crystal-clear water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Aman concept is that guests are treated as if they were in a home, albeit a very luxurious and selective one, and thus adrenaline junkies and tchotchke-adoring princesses would feel singularly out of place. For it is not luxury or five-star in the jaded, conventional sense: There is no opulently decorated ersatz Versace lobby, smotheringly plush carpets or garish accoutrements that some of us define as taste.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Its pool -- but why swim in a pool when that stunning turquoise sea lies only a few steps away? -- is of the simple 1.4-meter plunge variety.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">By day, the sparse sounds are of the drone of motorboats and, occasionally, a fight between peeved members of the monkey troupes that have also set up camp in the area. When night shrouds the resort, and little stirs except for the rustle of leaves outside and the to-and-fro lapping of waves on the coral beach, you can hear yourself think.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tapping into that inner voice can be a disquieting experience for some. White remembers one couple who gave the resort and their tent the once-over, and decided then and there that a heaping dose of serenity was not what they were looking for.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"They said it was beautiful and everything, but it was just not for them," he said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">* * * *</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:S8q94AwPcACJJM:http://www.geocities.com/birubali/fishing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:S8q94AwPcACJJM:http://www.geocities.com/birubali/fishing.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Moyo, about a 90-minute boat trip from the sleepy town of Sumbawa Besar on the northern coast of Sumbawa, covers 36,000 hectares, of which a third is a national park. The hotel, opened in 1993, stands on 35 hectares of the 165 controlled by the Aman Group.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Guests (they have included, most famously, the late Princess Diana) are ferried from Sumbawa in one of the Aman's luxury boats. The jetty leads past the plunge pool, open-air shower, dive shop and nurse's station along a trail to the cluster of buildings. Here lies the reception, library, boutique and the breeze-fanned restaurant overlooking the shore.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The sandy trail continues to the canvas-covered rooms -- built as tents to accommodate the regulation banning permanent hotels within a national park. To the left, hugging the shore, are the beach tents, where I stayed, while a few meters back are the jungle rooms.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Barely seen and heard are the hotel's soft-footed attendants, who move seamlessly between the tents collecting laundry, setting up mosquito nets and pulling down blinds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">If they wish, guests can while away their days on the beach with a good book from the library; there is a selection of English, German and Japanese titles, from novels to travel and art books. Most choose instead to sample the sights of the surrounding jungle or dive sites in the Flores Sea (Tim Simond called the latter "something of a best kept secret ... superb" in 2006's Dive in Style).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"A big selling point for us, as you see on your arrival, is the calm waters, and that you can swim in the ocean ...," White said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"You can walk in right off the beach, snorkel right off the beach, in a protected marine park, which is hard to find outside of Manado. The dive age starts at 10 years old -- we are very child friendly, so it's great for families."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's a perfected slice of paradise at a price; the tent is US$750 per night, plus $75 full board, which includes meals and beverages, except alcoholic ones. Excursions and the PADI-accredited dives all cost extra.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">And it's one of those places where, if you have to ask about the price or find them obscenely inflated in one of the poorest regions of the country, then you should not be there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For Indonesia residents, both locals and expatriates, the tent cost is half the standard. White said Indonesia bookings accounted for about 17 percent of guest numbers in 2005, consisting of an equal balance of European/American expats, the Japanese community and Indonesian nationals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"You are getting exclusive service with the Aman touches," he said of the rates.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Our staff knows your name, we keep a record of your likes and dislikes, what you like to drink, what your favorite cigar is ...the peace and quiet of Moyo is what people will pay highly for ..."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The secluded setting is ideal for couples; the hotel has designated three "honeymoon beaches" for those who want a romantic hideaway far from prying eyes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">When the resort first opened in the early 1990s, White said, it was more oriented to couples, but that is no longer the case.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"We are very casual, not pretentious ... Our guests range from CEOs of businesses to older retirees ... for children, this provides an experience that they would not normally get."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I spent two nights at the resort; my itinerary included the must-do jaunt to the idyllic waterfall across the bay from the resort; snorkeling off the jetty; the Aman facial and an exerting walk to the deer breeding center along the coast.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The waterfall is reached by taking a speedboat to the fishing village of Labuan Aji, followed by a bone-shaking 20-minute drive in a jeep up an unpaved hill and along a dusty stretch of road fringed by cashew fields. The jeep stops and there is a short trek to reach the first, breathtakingly gorgeous waterfall. It's ideal for pictures, but it is used by the local community for its water needs and is not for guests to swim in.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The waterfall for Amanwana guests is further up the mountain; it was not a too severely demanding trek, even for woefully out-of-shape me. It is no less stunning and tranquil than the first, a magical picture-postcard oasis where shards of light danced invitingly on the pool.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of my two guides led the way along a huge fallen tree trunk to dive into the clear, cool water. After our swim, I feasted on a jungle platter of fresh young coconut, fruit and slices of banana bread. We stopped off in the village to buy some of the forest honey that Sumbawa is famous for before heading back to the resort, reinvigorated from the trip.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">* * * *</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Moyo's population of about 3,500, located in Labuan Aji and a couple of other hamlets around the island, earn their living from fishing and farming rice, cashews and honey collected from the local forests.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">About a third of the 160 staff at Amanwana is from the island, White said. Most originate from the strongly Islamic region of Bima on Sumbawa; legend has it they fled here during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in World War II.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The resort has its own water treatment center, with used water processed for reuse in the grounds. Nonrecyclable waste is taken away for disposal in Sumbawa Besar, while "wet" waste is used as compost.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But no island is an island unto itself; even Moyo, with its tiny population and a protected national park since 1976, has suffered the scourge of environmental damage.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Despite its distance from Sumbawa, flotsam and jetsam still washes up on Amanwana's shores, White said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Our groundskeeping staff are up early to clear up any litter on the beach. There is no magic in the water to keep it away. The magic is being there to pick it up when it comes in."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">There also are more pressing concerns; stark tracts of gray burnished land, forest cleared by fire for farming, line the road to the waterfall. The reefs have also rebounded after suffering from increased water temperatures.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The most glaring example of a reverse in environmental fortunes is the island's population of deer, the redundantly named rusa deer or Sunda Sambar (cervus timorenis). The 1991 reprint of Bill Dalton's definitive Indonesia travel guide Indonesia Handbook said that sight of landfall on Moyo inevitably included deer frolicking in the hills.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The animals remained common until the late 1990s, and would graze in the late afternoon at Amanwana. Aman Resorts human resources director Asih Wesika remembers being disturbed by a knocking on her door, only to find that the "trespasser" was a deer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But decimation of the wild population by hunting parties who sailed over from Sumbawa has led to a drastic decline in their numbers (monkeys, wild ox and boar are now the most common mammals here). The deer has been hunted for sport, its antlers taken as a trophy and carcass left behind (on mainland Sumbawa, its meat is used for jerky and the fluid of unborn foals drunk to increase virility).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Visitors today are only likely to "see" a deer on the key holder for their rooms and the wooden figurines in the restaurant. However, for the past six years, the hotel has sponsored a breeding program run by local people.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">White and Wesika took me to the site; we climbed up the rocky stairs behind the plunge pool, past the helipad, and embarked on a testing 20-minute walk to the home of Ibu Halimah.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Among locals, she is a wealthy woman, with chickens, goats and cows rambling around the grounds of her simple home. She served us crisp slices of freshly fried breadfruit before leading us to the deer enclosure, which is tended by three members of her family.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I saw a herd of about 15 deer, who tamely fed on the bundles of leaves offered to them. They are descended from 40 animals the resort bought and brought over from Sumbawa (some escaped when a fence broke during the monsoon season). White said the hotel wanted to eventually release 10-12 animals back into the forest, and may set up an enclosure behind Amanwana to allow guests to see them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the ride over to Amanwana, I had met one of the crew, pak Ramli, a native of Labuan Aji and a former hunter. He has been with Amanwana since its opening, and his job has provided his family with a better standard of living. He can send his children to school in Sumbawa Besar instead of learning at the tiny schoolhouse in Labuan Aji.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">He told me that the example of the hotel and its guests in caring for the environment was one that the islanders could follow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Whether they are Japanese or European, they really show their concern for the environment and for protecting the animals. It has really opened my eyes," he said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">* * * *</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">When my two nights at Amanwana were over, I took the employees' boat back to Sumbawa Besar's port of Badas. It was time to head back to the reality of traffic jams and deadlines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It was not the usual elegant farewell to Amanwana, but then my trip there was in many ways very different from that of its guests. I had taken the Rp 85,000 bus-ferry from Mataram to Sumbawa Besar, glimpsing the rugged, arid landscape of Sumbawa. I then spent a day in the small town, enjoying becak rides to its few sights and the friendliness of the local people.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In contrast, Amanwana guests fly in on a Cessna to Sumbawa Besar's single landing strip airport on the outskirts of town, are whisked away to meticulously kept Badas harbor and then set off on their pristine jungle adventure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">No chilled mineral water and canapés for us today. My fellow passengers were 20 members of the forestry police, who had been looking into illegal logging on the island, and a solitary hen who, seeming to know a fate worse then death awaited her on Sumbawa, darted frantically through the boat. Me, feeling like a big white lug among the band of manly men in uniform, chose to sit with the steersman.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">With a cigarette pursed between his lips and dexterously maneuvering the helm with his feet, he told me of his family's recent addition of a young daughter, and that his wife was an elementary school teacher in Sumbawa Besar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">He had been to Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Seaport once when he worked on a merchant ship. But they had only unloaded their cargo and gone straight back to sea.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Jakarta must be really something, with all the big buildings and vehicles," the 27-year-old said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">You should see it once, I replied. For a single trip to the urban jungle is probably enough when you have a small corner of paradise to call home. </span></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-86712907634106053432007-05-09T11:04:00.000+07:002007-07-02T10:47:41.955+07:00Smart Gear Competition Launched<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third Annual Smart Gear Competition Launched, $30,000 Prize for Fishing Gear That Reduces 'Bycatch'.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Source: PR Newswire<br />Publication Date: 02/07/2007<br />COPYRIGHT 2007 PR Newswire Association LLC<br /></span><br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The third annual WWF International Smart Gear Competition launched today seeking new designs for fishing gear that reduces marine bycatch -- the accidental catch and related deaths of marine mammals, birds, sea turtles and non-target fish species in fishing gear. Many millions of tons of what is caught in the course of fishing are thrown back into the sea dead or dying each year.<br /><br />"Our work is all about creating positive solutions to problems facing our world," said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund. "Bycatch is a huge problem. It's the leading threat to many endangered marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds. SmartGear Competition encourages innovative solutions to this threat."<br /><br />The winning designer will receive a $30,000 grand prize. There will also be two $10,000 runner-up prizes. Entries will be judged on whether they are innovative, practical, cost-effective, reduce bycatch of any species and makes an important contribution to conservation. The judges include fishermen, researchers, engineers and fisheries managers from all over the world.<br /><br />The competition is open to eligible entrants from any background -- including fishermen, professional gear manufacturers, teachers, students, engineers, scientists and backyard inventors. Instructions for entering the competition are available at http://www.smartgear.org/. Completed entries must be submitted by July 31, 2007.<br /><br />"Bycatch is a serious threat to marine life that demands a wide-ranging, multidisciplinary response," said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service. "WWF's Smart Gear competition has been an effective way to catalyze that response by encouraging creative thinkers everywhere to share their ideas for minimizing bycatch."<br /><br />Last year's winner was a New Jersey inventor who designed fishing gear that could save thousands of sharks from accidentally dying on fishing lines each year. The winner's design uses a shark's ability to detect magnetic fields as a way to protect them by placing strong magnets just above baited hooks. The design will be tested this spring and summer in advance of potential commercial use.<br /><br />For official competition rules and to learn how to enter, please visit http://www.smartgear.org/. The competition begins February 7, 2007 and ends July 31, 2007. Employees, agents, current contractors, and relatives of employees of World Wildlife Fund, Inc. or any WWF National Organization are ineligible. Judges and relatives of Judges are also ineligible. The competition is void where prohibited. Odds depend on number of entries received. No purchase is necessary.<br /><br />Known in the United States as World Wildlife Fund and recognized worldwide by its panda logo, WWF leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats and to conserve the diversity of life on Earth. Now in its fifth decade, WWF, the global conservation organization, works in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information on World Wildlife Fund, visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/.</span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9159750248777759989.post-1242046291947569652007-05-07T12:42:00.000+07:002007-05-07T12:45:49.051+07:00When Sea Gypsies Settle<span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span lang="EN-AU">The JakartaPost.com</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span lang="EN-AU"><br /><br /></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 36pt; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;" lang="EN-AU"> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><img src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/4life.jpg" align="right" border="0" /></span>The seafaring Bajo people of Southeast Sulawesi have only been land dwellers for the past 30 years. But the call of the sea is still strong despite their new homes on stilts, writes </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 700;" lang="EN-AU">Paul van Nimwegen</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;" lang="EN-AU">.</span></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The sea is for the Bajo,” proudly explains Kodu. “We have always lived on the sea, it is our place.<i>”</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Kodu is a lobster fisherman from Wakatobi National (Marine) Park in distant Southeast Sulawesi. He belongs to the Bajo, an ethnic group that for nearly a millennium wandered in houseboats. In 1904, Francisco Combes described the Bajo as knowing “no other home than their boat … (and) are such enemies of the land that it does not get from them the slightest labor or industry, not the profit of any fruit.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The Bajo mostly lived a subsistence-based lifestyle, using the resources of coral reef systems and nearby shores. They traded with land communities for cassava and other resources. Communities were small and sustainable. Living in these houseboats, they moved between moorages in extended family groups, guided by fishing conditions, political circumstances and kin obligations. When an area became depleted, the community simply moved on, allowing it time to recover. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“W<i>e </i>often went gleaning at night, and during the day we went fishing,” says<i> </i> Mbo Tadi, a Bajo man who lived in his houseboat until he was 30 years old. “We caught sea cucumbers, clams, turtles, fish and many other creatures. We dried the fish on the coconut-leaf roof of the boat to give to our family or sell.” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">It was not until the early 1970s that the last Bajo of Wakatobi finally left their houseboats. Today, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">there are five vibrant and unique communities built in the sea. Houses are stilted or built on platforms made from coral collected from surrounding reef flats. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">But the legacy of a nomadic life and their connection with the sea remains strong. Freedom is central. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“We are a very different people who live on land,”<i> </i>any Bajo person can be heard saying. “We<i> </i> are not bound by the restrictions of land dwellers<i>.”</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Travel is still an integral part of Bajo life. The land remains foreign, with some men only setting foot on terra firma once a year.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoListBullet" style="text-indent: 0cm; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Traditional beliefs in sea spirits have become mixed with Islam. These spirits are benevolent and provide good luck in fishing, health and family. There are many different rituals involving offerings of food and other items. </span></span> </p> <p class="MsoListBullet" style="text-indent: 0cm; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“We ask Mbo Janggo (coral spirit) to give us fish,” says Mbo Enda, a Bajo shaman. “Mbo Janggo is the same as us, but lives in the sea. Mbo Janggo and God are equal, they can both give the Bajo fish.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Although a minority group, Bajo are important regionally. They are the greatest exploiters of the Wakatobi marine environment. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Bajo people obtain anything that has a value or use. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">How they use the sea depends on the season, tides and moon.<i> </i></span></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“If there is a dark moon, we search for sea cucumber, lobster and use nets to catch shark and fish,” says one of the fishermen. “During the full moon, we focus on squid and snapper using line fishing.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The prices given by middlemen drive what species are targeted. These middlemen are linked to regional and international trade networks. Octopus, lobster and shark fins are in high demand at the moment.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">During the calm season, men go on extended fishing journeys to remote atolls in search of high-priced commodities. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU"> Long-distance travel has always been part of Bajo life. For more than 500 years, Indonesian seafaring people have been fishing in Australia. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Many Bajo men from Wakatobi make the two-day journey to Roti Island in West Timor, which they use as a base for fishing in Australia. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“I usually go with two other people in a wooden motorized boat and stay at sea for a week,” said Nardia, an experienced shark fisherman. “We bring water, cigarettes and food. We use a long line baited with dolphin that we spear while traveling to Australia. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“I spent three months in jail in Australia. When I was released, they told me if I was caught again, I would be sent to jail for a year,” he added without concern. </span></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Many young Bajo men migrate to other areas of Indonesia or Malaysia, living for long periods away from their families. They dream of becoming wealthy and having an adventure. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Konduru is a migration veteran, having lived in Riau Islands, West Java and Malaysia. </span></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“Most Bajo enter Malaysia illegally,” he says. “They usually live on the edge of the city mixed with non-Bajo and work for Chinese-owned fishing boats. They go with aspirations of making money, but it does not happen.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">For there are experiences that are not to be found in Wakatobi.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Konduru told how the Bajo fishermen end up frittering away their money in bars and on prostitutes when payday arrives.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“But they say ‘next month we receive a salary’. Many people are not successful. Out of 100 people who migrate, 10 of those are successful in sending money back home.” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The changes in the Bajo lifestyle since settling have happened in the face of growing marginalization. In the past, other ethnic groups considered the Bajo primitive due to their lack of permanent housing, their preference for living on the sea and their faith in sea spirits. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">This discrimination continues, as the Bajo struggle to maintain their culture in a modern Indonesia. The Bajo suffer poor health and education, and are increasingly coming into conflict with governments and conservation organizations. Driven by a desire to earn money and aided by new methods such as motors, nylon nets and cyanide, the Bajo are significantly affecting fragile coral reef systems. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“The Bajo of Wakatobi are facing a challenging future,” says Iskandar Halim, director of the Wakatobi-based Bajo NGO Yayasan Bajo Matilla. “The Bajo are making a transition from a subsistence-based thinking and lifestyle to a modern Indonesia. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">“Many people don’t have an understanding of saving money, conservation or health. This means they are exploiting the marine resources harder to earn money, but are not thinking about the future. As resources become depleted, the Bajo way of life could become threatened …” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b> <span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The Bajo’s Tale</span><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU"> </span></i></b></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-family: georgia;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">Bajo people are the most widely dispersed nomadic seafaring people in the world, scattered across three nations<i>. </i>They live in a maritime zone that exceeds 3.25 million square kilometers, extending from the southern Philippines, through the northern and eastern coasts of Borneo and Sulawesi, to Nusa Tenggara and the southern Moluccas.</span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU"> The Bajo of Wakatobi are part of the Sama-Bajau language group. Studies have shown that this group originated in the southern Philippines region of Northern Sulu, Mindanao and the Basilan Straits around 800 AD. It is likely that the Bajo adopted nomadism at this time because this was the most effective way of exploiting the marine resources.</span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">During the start of the 10<sup>th</sup> century the Bajo started to migrate. The developing trade links between China, India and the Middle East may have acted as a catalyst. As the Bajo moved, they established networks of trading communities along coastlines. Their maritime skills and wide distribution would have given them an advantage in exploiting this growing trade network. </span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-AU">The Bajo probably reached coastal Sabah (Malaysia Borneo) by the 11<sup>th</sup> century and the Strait of Makassar and other areas of eastern Indonesia in the following few centuries. </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>Lefidus Malauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07511480507143578415noreply@blogger.com0