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Pollution, climate change hit Jakarta’s fishers hard
Data from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry shows a 20 percent drop in Jakarta’s marine fisheries production in 2023 compared with the year before, while data for 2024 has yet to be released.
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A fisherman unloads his belongings after returning from a fishing trip at the traditional Muara Angke harbor in Jakarta on November 21, 2024. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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attling stronger waves and dwindling catches, Taufik Hidayat navigates Jakarta Bay nearly every day, only to return with empty nets. Like many local fishers, the 32-year-old from Brebes, Central Java, has seen his income plummet due to worsening climate conditions and pollution.
“This morning, we had to return early because of heavy rain. My crew didn’t catch anything,” Taufik told The Jakarta Post on a gloomy Monday at Muara Angke Port in North Jakarta, where dozens of purse-seine fishing boats were docked.
Taufik operates a 10-gross-tonne boat and employs 15 crew members. But with erratic weather becoming the norm, he often struggles to pay them more than Rp 30,000 (US$1.85) each per day, which is far below their usual earnings. Meanwhile, he must spend around Rp 1 million daily just on fuel.
During a good day, they can catch up to two tonnes of fish, ranging from Indian mackerel, sardinella and anchovies. But big waves and rains have been ruining their chances.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicts a shorter and delayed dry season this year, warning of a “wet dry season” in many areas, a worrying trend for fishers dependent on predictable weather patterns.
Read also: Rain still pours across Indonesia with ‘wet dry season’ expected until June
But the drop in catch is not only due to climate change.
