TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A group of fishermen from Pantura (Java north coast road) held a rally on the cantrang ban in front of the Merdeka Palace today, Jan. 17. The rally was held during the inauguration of the new state officials for the 2014-2019 Working Cabinet reshuffle by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The fishermen reject and protested against the policy that banned the use of cantrang, a fishing instrument similar to the Danish seine. The rally started at 08:00 a.m. and continued on despite the inauguration of the new Working Cabinet Ministers.

Read: VP Kalla Status of Cantrang Ban to Soon be Cleared

Suyoto, Chairman of the Dampo Awang Rembang Fishermen Association, explained that the rally is participated by groups of cantrang fishermen from Central Java, East Java, West Java, West Kalimantan, Sulawesi, up to West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

As it turns out, not all fishermen are against the ban on cantrang. Fishermen group alliances from Tidore, North Maluku, are siding with the government by being against the use of cantrang. They consider that type of fishing instrument as not environmentally friendly and threaten the survival of the marine ecosystem.

A fisherman from Gurapin said that the use of cantrang has harmed fishermen in North Maluku that has consistently used pole and lines as their main instrument for fishing. “We are against the use of cantrang because it is not environmentally friendly and that it will only prosper major financiers,” said Abdul on Thursday, January 11.

ANTARA