Kampung Melayu Beach Waste Batam Is Estimated To Be Missing In A Month, Fishermen Are Restless

Kampung Melayu Batam Beach, Riau Islands, which was polluted by waste and turned black, Wednesday (3/5/2023). (ANTARA/Jessica)

BATAM - Fishermen are worried about the large number of fish to other marine biota that died due to the contamination of Kampung Melayu Beach, Batam City, Riau Islands (Kepri).

Arianto, a fisherman from Kampung Melayu, said that he could not go to sea because his fishing gear was damaged by the contamination of waste in his area.

"This waste is probably only a month away, our fate is how the sticky fishing gear cannot be used," said Arianto in Batam, Wednesday, May 3, as reported by Antara.

He added, even if you have to go to sea to the middle of the sea, your income will definitely decrease.

Arianto and other fishermen hope that there will be compensation from the government or parties related to this incident.

"If possible there will be compensation, because there is no possibility of fish," he said.

The Community Supervisory Group (Pokmaswas) of the Nongsa area, Muhammad Idris, said that the current waste pollution is very detrimental to fishermen, which now number hundreds of people, who are members of 11 groups with 11 to 15 each group.

"This is a huge loss. We hope that there will be compensation, especially for fishermen here," said Idris.

He explained that the black oil waste pollution was not the first time this had happened.

"In the past, a few years ago, I have. But when the wind was north and at that time it was still fairly natural because there was wind and strong waves due to the north season," he said.

This incident, said Idris, was unnatural because it is currently the eastern wind season which should be sea and waves in a calm state.

"There shouldn't be at this time because of the east wind. This is the time for fishermen to come down to the sea," he concluded.