by NOPRI ISMI
The islanders of Bangka Belitung, off Sumatra, have long hunted squid for sustenance and trade, but some fear this is being imperilled by mining
On the night of 1 April, strong winds brought drizzle, lightning and metre-high waves to the seas around the Bangka Belitung islands in western Indonesia. Ismu Bai decided to return from his squid-fishing trip early.
“Thankfully I was able to get two kilograms [of squid]. The important thing is to get home safely to your family,” says Ismu, who has for decades fished on the east coast of Bangka Island, one of two in the province of Bangka Belitung Islands. He says the waters around it attract fishers from as far away as Java, 400km to the south.
“During spawning season, there are many mother squid looking after their young. They are known to be fierce and hungry, so they are easy to bait,” Ismu notes. Local fishers like himself are fortunate that fishing conditions are still good and they do not have to go out too far, he adds.
But those around the Bangka Belitung islands are increasingly anxious about whether the sea will always have such favourable conditions. They particularly fear the impact of tin mining.
Mining’s surge troubles squid fishers
Tin has been mined in Indonesia for hundreds of years, but the activity has grown significantly this century. Mining on land and at sea took off after reforms in 1998 liberalised regulation, with illegal mining increasing in parallel with legal activity.
Marine tin mining is carried out by dredging or sucking sand from the seabed, which is then washed to separate out the tin. The material is traditionally associated with cans, but it is also used in high-tech products to solder electronics.
Small-scale, community-led operations use wooden pontoons that float on plastic barrels to mine tin. Commercial miners use dredgers and specialist suction vessels that can pull up more than 3.5 million cubic metres of material every month.
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