Belitung Fisheries Service Urges Fishermen To Beware Of High Waves And Bad Weather

JAKARTA - The Belitung Regency Fisheries Service, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, appealed to fishermen to increase their awareness of the potential for high waves in local waters, with wave heights estimated at 0.5 to 1.25 meters.

"We remind fishermen who are active at sea to really pay attention to the potential for high waves, because this could endanger their safety," said Head of the Belitung Fisheries Service, Firdaus Zamri, in Tanjungpandan, Wednesday, as quoted by ANTARA.

He explained that information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) shows that although the wave height is classified as moderate, the current weather conditions tend to be erratic and change rapidly. This needs to be anticipated by fishermen.

"High waves are often accompanied by strong winds, which can endanger fishermen when catching fish," he added.

Firdaus suggested that fishermen using small boats with a capacity below five gross tons postpone fishing activities for a while. Most of the fishermen in Belitung use ships with these capacities.

For fishermen who still decide to go to sea, he emphasized the importance of equipping ships with safety equipment, such as life jackets and radio communication devices. This will facilitate coordination between fishermen or contact other parties in the event of an emergency.

"Usually, Belitung fishermen go to sea at a distance of about 8-10 miles from the beach," explained Firdaus.

In addition, he suggested that fishermen keep their distance between ships not too far when doing activities at sea. This is important to facilitate the provision of assistance if one of the fishermen faces problems.