TEMPO.CO, Depok - Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that fishes in Indonesia have been exposed to plastic pollutants.
“Plastic makes up 22 percent of contents in fish gut,” Luhut said during a public lecture at the University of Indonesia in Depok, West Java, on Wednesday, April 5, 2017.
Luhut explained that the finding is based on a research conducted in Makassar, South Sulawesi. Luhut added the finding proves that Indonesia’s ocean is polluted with plastic.
According to Luhut, fishes in Indonesian waters have consumed plastic disposed by humans. Luhut added that the research also found that plankton could be exposed to plastic waste.
“The research in Makassar proved that,” Luhut said.
However, Luhut revealed that California, the US, and China have worse pollution. Luhut said that the level of plastic pollution in fish has reached 62 percent.
Indonesia, Luhut went on, is the second largest producer of plastic waste in the world after China. Luhut believes that unmanaged plastic waste could pose threats to human lives.
“Plastic-contaminated fishes are dangerous for human, particularly pregnant women,” he said.
In a bid to figure out the level of plastic pollution in Indonesian waters, the government is conducting researches in 15 cities.
IMAM HAMDI