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Sarwano Kusuma Atmadja Minister of Environment Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 15 Jakarta Pusat Republic of Indonesia Dear Sir, A terrible environmental destruction is occurring within the shadow (30meters) of Tangkoko Nature Reserve Park, Manado area, NE Suluwesi. The damage to marine life is extensive and may be non-reversible if breeding stocks of marine mammals continue to be depleted by exhaustive, non- sustainable fishing. The beauty and uniqueness that is Manado’s Marine heritage is under extreme threat. We believe we must alert you and other concerned parties to the extent of devastation observed. As the events witnessed concern highly migratory marine mammals that are protected to varying degrees by the International Community, we feel obliged to alert them as well. In this capacity, we are informing, not accusing, and will do what we can to preserve the sustainable splendour of Manado’s Marine Ecosystem and the world’s marine mammals. We appreciate the difficulty of policing such a vast coastline, so we offer our own eyewitness account of events concerning Tangkoko Draw\Trap Nets, Manado. On April 3, two tourists accidentally witness the slaughter of a WHALESHARK while on way with local boatman to snorkel in Lembeh Strait. The two eventually free a large Turtle also caught by nets. All events were videotaped and photographed. The two set of nets are about 3 km apart 20\30 meters from the coastline of the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. The nets believed to be strategically placed on the migrating path of sea mammals and large pelagic fish, extend approximately 400 meters toward drop-off , between 15 to 35 meters from sea level to ocean floor. The draw nets lead to the trap nets, built as a maze, leading to the final trap, a floor net on floats (except at the opening mouth), one cm square nylon ‘TIGER net’, approximately 50 by 60 meters wide, 30 to 35 meters deep at this point. The boat enters the maze of trap nets from the far side ( north side), then drives southward scaring roaming fish toward and into the final floor ‘Tiger’ trap net, eventually lifting and hauling the net, slaughtering all its contents. The nets took three weeks to construct and were completed March 1996. The nets and boats are operated by ‘EKASAPTA USAHAMINA’, believed to be a Taiwanese/Indonesian joint venture, in which the Taiwanese provide the technology and operation of the facilities, to include the direct slaughter, icepacking, distribution and sell of the hauls ( primarily to Chinese partners, and seafood canneries). This particular operation is directed by the Taiwanese shareholder and the local Indonesian partner , a so called Adolph Winokes, from the main ware\slaughterhouse located on the Lembeh Strait by the Harbour city of Bitung, NE Suluwesi. The other Shareholders, operating out of Jakarta, include two retired high-ranking Generals and one active military Col., who may be unaware of the full extent of devastation. Within one year, the Bitung operation has increased its hauling fleet from one fibreglass skiff to that plus three much larger hauling ships (holding and sleeping a crew of 15\20 men each), making trips sometimes two or three times a day to each net depending on the catch , some days working on 24 hour basis due to large catches. A former employee of the operation’s shore-based repackaging facility was responsible for recording the large fish caught and slaughtered between March 27, 1996 and February 12, 1997: 789 Marlin, 1,424 Manta Rays, 18 Whale Shark, 312 Various Shark, 84 Turtle, 9 Dugong, 4 Minke Whale, 257 Dolphin, 577 Pilot Whale. The operation has increased and built its facilities to three times its size, increasing its security to match. At the moment it is building a second pier to house its boats and the many Taiwanese ships always harboured to the current pier. Battered, dead sea mammals, such as Dolphins, that managed to escape the hauling , however died later due to the injuries, have been found floating in and around the Lembeh Strait by fisherman and others. It is believed that many of these Taiwanese (and other boats) are connected directly and indirectly to the movement, distribution, and sale of the packed hauls, by-passing the normally required legal documentation and in fact not registering the actual take, thus not paying taxes nor upholding quotas, and finally covering up the illegal slaughter of the needed protected species. It is believed , that at least three to more of these types of trapnets exist in other locations along Suluwesi coastline operated by the same company, plus there may be many others operated by others at different locations within Indonesia operating beyond the control and monitoring of proper authorities. The local government offices such as the Harbour master, the Fisheries Department, the Forestry Dept., the Coast guard Dept., and the Bitung police Dept. have all stated that they are unaware of any irregularities by ‘EKASAPTA USAHAMINA’, and, or, the legality of the nets (some insisting they didn’t even know about their existence). The Indonesian government was one of the major co-sponsors of the 1995 United Nations conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and in fact agreed to all eleven Articles implemented. For this reason, it is believed that the Central government in Jakarta has had little knowledge of the full extent of the actions of this company. The devastation committed goes far beyond that mentioned above, for instance, those laws meant to protect the local fishing villages, as ‘BATU PUTIH’, most affected by the loss of essential fish catches due to the total blockade of fish movement, plus all the other traditional Indonesian fisherman, who sometimes stay out on sea for three days before making a decent catch. The nets capture every passing marine creature, including those essential to the survival of the fishing villages and the tradition fisherman. Finally, it is obvious that this company operation not only ignored the laws of the government and fair fishing rights of the local population, but they also inflicted damage on the ecosystem by slaughtering so many of the important species, and this infact has a direct affect on the tourist trade. Tourists throughout north Suluwesi have been complaining about the lack of sea mammals and large fish. Most dive operatives have noticed exactly the same, most noticeably the lack of the loved ‘MantaRay’ and the ‘Whale Shark’( The Gentle Giant of the Sea) with which snorkeler’s and divers can swim. Actually most tourists and tour guides would admit they haven’t seen any of these in over a year. Of visitors polled between April and May 1997, 60% were disappointed with the Marine Reserve in N.Suluwesi , vowing not to return. Their reasons for not wanting to return resulted primarily from the absolute damage done to, and neglect of, the marine park area, to the lack of large fish and sea-mammals expected to be found within it. We, the undersigned, believe these types of Draw\Trap Nets violate both the spirit and the letter of the International Law of the Sea and related covenants and UN Resolutions; that they are damaging to the Indonesian ecosystem; damaging & unfair to the local and traditional fisherman; impossible to monitor; counter- productive to the goals of sustaining balanced eco tourism; and outright morally wrong ! We believe that marine mammals -- whale, dolphins, dugongs should be protected and their capture and slaughter considered criminal. Other, rare species, require protection as well. We ask that you consider classifying the Whale Shark -- Gentle Giant of the Sea -- and the elegant Manta Ray as protected species. We also believe, ultimately, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia are the only ones who have the power and ability to effectively stop this depleting, non-sustainable fishing within Indonesian waters. We applaud Indonesia’s sponsorship of the UN Resolutions and encourage and implore her to enforce the same. With respect and hope for a better future, Please Send Polite letters to the below; Sarwano Kusuma Atmadja Minister of Environment Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 15 Jakarta Pusat Republic of Indonesia |