126 Community Groups Help Monitor The Papua Sea From The Use Of Explosives, Provincial Government: Collaboration With Babinkamtibmas

Illustration of fishing boats. (Antarenews)

Acting Head of the Papua Province Fisheries and Marine Service, Iman Djuniawal, said that currently 126 groups of supervisory communities (pokmaswas) are helping to monitor waters and seas in Papua.

Acting Head of Papua Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Office Iman Djuniawal said the pokmaswas prevented the use of explosives and was dangerous when catching fish in the Papua Sea.

"Pokmaswas is tasked with monitoring the beaches or waters around his village from fishermen who use hazardous materials," said Acting Head of the Papua Fisheries and Marine Office, Iman Djuniawal, in Jayapura, Papua, Wednesday, April 24, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that the pokmaswas was formed with a decree from the village head and his presence at the local fisheries service.

According to him, the most pokmaswas are in Biak Numfor Regency and the presence of the group is expected to protect the territorial waters from fishing using hazardous materials including explosives, such as potassium and fish bombs.

"Even the group can collaborate with Babinkamtibmas and Babinsa to increase the income of coastal communities," hoped Iman.

Iman said that more and more pokmaswas were formed so that no more fishermen caught fish using hazardous materials.

Counseling can involve these groups so that later the ecosystem around the waters is maintained and the results of the fisheries are abundant.

Moreover, until now, fishermen, especially native Papuans, are still traditional fishermen known as "one day fishing" because they only do fishing a day using traditional equipment such as fishing rods and small nets.

"The Fisheries and Marine Service in districts and cities can use the supervisory community group as an opportunity to gather fishermen to provide counseling so that their skills can increase," said Iman.