The Struggle of Pasi-pasi Fishermen in the Midst of Mining Activities (bahasa Indonesia)

TEMPO.CO, East Luwu—The eyes of 45-year-old Muhammad Anwar were teary on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. That day he told me about the difficulty of making money due to nickel mining activities. His family lives in Pasi-pasi Village, Malili District, East Luwu, South Sulawesi.

Anwar is both a fisherman and a farmer. In the past year, people have struggled to find fish. If they only rely on agricultural products, it is not sufficient for their daily lives. "Income has decreased, not like before," he said when met at his house, Wednesday, June 29, 2022.

Before the mine owned by PT Citra Lampia Mandiri (CLM) was operating, the results of fishing were sufficient to meet the needs of Anwar's family. Once at sea, he could get a profit of IDR 100,000. "That's one trip. But, now it has dropped drastically to only IDR 50,000," said Anwar.

Due to mining waste, the water level along the coast of the Pasi-pasi pier has become shallow. When it rains, the water becomes murky. In fact, this location is a favorite spot for fishermen to catch fish. The impact of this mining forces fishermen to go out as far as two kilometers.

Generally, fishermen in this village catch fish using jolloro or small boats. The fishing pattern is still traditional, namely fishing and using nets.

Anwar is a net fisherman. He knits his own nets on the terrace of his semi-permanent house. In addition, he also receives orders for making nets from neighboring villages.