Pulau Banyak Barat

Bagi saya, tidak ada hal yang membahagiakan daripada melihat laut dari dekat.

Berlama-lama diri melihat air tanpa batas, duduk di biduk nelayan, menyendiri di pantai, tertawa dengan anak-anak SMP yang masih mau diajak berkelana sebelum mereka khawatir dengan perubahan warna kulit, belajar memancing dari para nelayan, semuanya adalah cara saya menikmati Pulau Banyak Barat.

(Ke)Pulau(an) Banyak Barat adalah kecamatan terbarat-selatan Aceh, butuh waktu sekitar 8 jam dari Singkil jika menggunakan transportasi boat lokal. Delapan jam itu dikarenakan boat harus singgah di desa Suka Makmur dan Ujung Sialit. Saat ini ada 4 desa di kecamatan ini; Suka Makmur, Ujung Sialit, Haloban dan Asantola. Kesemuanya berada dalam satu pulau; Pulau Tuangku.

Pekerjaan mayoritas masyarakat Suka Makmur adalah berkebun, para lelaki/suami berada di kebun ataupun laut sedangkan wanita/istri menjadi pekerja bangunan ataupun pencari umpan. Dikarenakan sulitnya berkumpul, maka setiap hari jumat mereka jadikan sebagai hari berkumpul bersama masyarakat. Desa Suka Makmur tergolong sepi penduduk, bisa jadi karena masyarakatnya tidak sering dirumah – bahkan anak-anak yang sekolah pun sangat sedikit! Dari kelas 1 sampai 6 SD hanya ada 28 murid!

Desa Haloban dan Asantola berdekatan, bahkan secara sadar kita bisa mengelilingi kedua desa tersebut dalam waktu 15 menit dengan sepeda motor. Kedua desa ini merupakan titik pemerintahan kecamatan dan saat ini memiliki sekolah hingga tingkat SMA. Sedangkat Ujung Sialit adalah desa yang dihuni oleh mayoritas umat nasrani dan transmigran Nias.

Pulau Banyak Barat lebih menarik ketimbang kakaknya- Pulau Banyak; tutupan terumbu karang di beberapa pulau masih tampak, ombak surf terbaik, hewan laut yang jarang terlihat dibagian Aceh lainnya ada disini. Hanya saja, akses menuju kawasan ini lebih sulit dibanding menuju Pulau Banyak.

Kembali

Sudah satu tahun tidak bersentuhan dengan masyarakat pesisir Aceh dan memilih untuk masuk dalam aktivitas konservasi Gajah Aceh. Namun apa daya, memang hati ada di Pulau. Bulan November lalu, tepat 1 tahun setelah postingan terakhir dilayangkan akhirnya saya memilih untuk kembali ke rumah; pulau-pulau.

Gajah Aceh memang sedang keadaan yang berpolemik, tapi pasukan yang berada dalam ranah laut jauh lebih sedikit sehingga polemik disini tidak terselesaikan. Masyarakat pesisir Aceh ternyata jauh lebih rumit dibanding masyarakat yang tinggal di bagian tengah (hutan); dampak yang dihasilkan dari campur tangan yang dilakukan oleh beberapa NGO pada waktu paska tsunami melekat dalam diri, menjadikan sebagian dari mereka terlalu berharap pada “uang jatuh dari langit”.

Sepuluh tahun sudah berlalu dari kejadian tsunami, pelan-pelan dan dengan sangat hati-hati para pihak yang masih menginginkan kesejahteraan tetap berusaha (walau sebagian besar terseleksi alam). Melihat kenyataan ini, sayapun memilih untuk kembali.

Kembali ke Laut.

Seeing Alor

 

 

Photo and text by Hadi Priyanto

I was never realised before that i will have a chance to go to the place to so uncrowded of Indonesian tourist. The place which have a spectacular sea creatures, where smile is the best way to greet, where we live surrounding by peace. I’m sure this is the second most beauty islands after Maldives in the world, at least after traveled in Java, part of Sumatra, Bali, and Borneo -this is the place where i can wring the soft sand.

But then, i’m asking myself; why resorts, ship tour, dive operator in here owned by foreigner?

Where’s the Indonesian? Where’s the Government?

I don’t think we not having a guts or money to build some. We probably can do it also since we owned the paradise and an expert of sustainable tourism. Don’t we want to have an integrated tourism that will raise income to local through local craft, eco-trip, or resort? Tourism should be one of the impactful weapon for this country to increase the economy. But then, government still think the natural resources is not for tourism (which can keep other natural resources stay), it’s for exploration -digging, mining, massive palm oil plantation. We almost sell everything that we have!

I think Indonesia needs political will from government to change the mindset and perspective not only sale natural resource but also sustainability resources. What do you think?

Cemara Beach

One day, i’m feel so bored. Then i ask my closest person and his friend to go to beach. But that day was the special one, it’s Lampuuk nor Lhok Nga. It’s a place where can hanging out privately with friends, laying down on grass, looking up the tree and sky.

Between land and ocean

Humans are lived in land, therefore they don’t care much about ocean. In some places, they care of ocean because they have to or they will not survive in the future.

In many cases of Indonesia natural resources, most of them are talking about what’s above and inside land -either to protect or destroy. Only minority will talk about ocean, specifically about protecting them. Remember earth are divide by land (30%) and ocean (70%), while the protected area of land is 12% the protected area of ocean is only 1%.

Please note, protect doesn’t mean fetter – humans can still take the resources in appropriate way and rules.

Hence, from that minority, most of them are talking about ‘how beauty is our ocean, let’s go visit island ____ (fill the blank with whatever the place you want to)’! i know, i know we have beauty ocean and rich creatures inside but can we take another topic?

Based on Ministry of Marine and Fisheries data, Indonesia have 18.306 13.466 islands and 95.181km coastline, the fourth big coastline area in the world. About 60% people lived in coastline area and 42% of it are miserable. The question is, how can people who lived closed to natural resources categorised as miserable/poor?

Indonesian people still eat fish everyday, don’t they? Every market selling fish right? Then why fisherman still laborious for send their kids to school and got blame by selling the shark, mantas, or other endangered species which they don’t have any knowledge about that.

Although we cannot denying high demand for endangered species cause high revenue to fisherman, avoiding fishing rules they catch endangered species for more money on pocket. In this case, conflict between ensuring their future or today income happened.

Did i told you the story when police arrest bomber fisherman between Simeulue and Banyaks island then what the fisherman said? “We already made this bomb, if we cannot bomb this area where else we should put it on? In your office?”

Talking with coastline people always take times and hard effort. They will sell every creatures which have a price, whatever it is because they need money rather than knowledge! Beside, only minority who cares about protecting the ocean while the rest only love to share “how beauty this island”

Story about Bangkaru Island

About 20-30 years previously in Aceh, there’s 6 species from 7 species sea turtle in the world choose their comfortable area to spawn – it’s lay down along Aceh West Coast. Each year, every night, no season – the turtle coming down.

We see that as something normal, seeing turtle spawn just like seeing chicken spawn – never ending spawning.

When years 2000 come up, apparently sea turtle eggs decrease, fisherman or who-ever-wants-the-eggs  not obviously see that as a danger – they only feel bad of the turtle because not longer give them supply. An example coming from ‘pulau dua’ in South Aceh; a small two island who produce a lot of sea turtle eggs everyday for almost 30years, but today.. no sea turtle anymore.

People questioning why we should save that turtle? What’s the meaning of saving the creatures that’s not giving affect to us if they’r die? Why to save Bangkaru?

 

Since 6 from 7 species in world coming to Aceh, we need to keep that because first, it’s not happen all around the world. Second, the other area of Aceh west coast now not having sea turtle every night – it’s seasonal. Third, we need turtle to eat jelly fish, so the population of jelly fish stable. Fourth, we need sea turtle poop for mucking reefs – to keep reef fish staying there.

What happen in South Aceh now, specifically in fisherman village – they need to stay in ocean a weeks, where in 10-20 years previously they only need to go to pulau dua to catch big fish.

Bangkaru, as the one and only establish marine conservation area in Sumatra today face a problem. Since they have plentiful sea turtle eggs, it’s makes em ‘delicious’ to poach. People starving of sea turtle eggs trading (IDR 3k-5k for small eggs and IDR 5k-7k for big one), people need money, people doesn’t recognise 5k today means 50.000k 10years later. They see Bangkaru as pot of gold.

Well, however wonderful something, if it’s in around us, we see that as something normal. We don’t even recognise it until it’s gone. 

Fall in love with Surfing

Those kids are just awesome, dancing in the swell, catch the water, grabbing it like never want to let them go.

I wander why they willing to absence from school just to bumping them self in waves, riding the board like they own the world…and me..just sit in the beach watching them.

It was, 3 years ago in Pacitan, East Java but now i know the answer..and enjoy the swell like the others surfer do ❤

Earth Heaven

 

Busung Village, Simeulue Island, Aceh. I heart ocean!

Life to defy our limit

Last night i remain my self what am i doing when i was in colleges. Why i can finished my studies in 3.5years and having a lot travel experience. People asking me why and now i’m asking myself.

I was pushing myself that hard.

Like others parents, my parents also want to see me graduate as soon as possible. But, i want travel as much as possible. I want to make something with big impact to the others. I was creating travel magazine, make networks inside, connecting people, encourage people, performance, create scuba community magazine, create underwater scuba photography class, involve in emergency respond, study at night until i slept on table and still have a time to dive and travel in other province.

But, on that night i feel wobble.

What am i doing right now? Where’s the result? Why i can’t see any result of my progress? I’m so feeling upset with my self..am i not pushing that hard again?

I almost crying myself..like seriously, dude?

But then, my closest person ask “are you serious on what you’re doing now?”. “yes, i’m”. “like..seriously?”. “yes, i am”.

“So then, you have to be patient….” (he paused) “many people from this province go outside and they success, many people come to here but not that much success. They’re struggling, with them self and environment”

(i silenced)

“Maybe, X not gonna that success if she not going to Jogja, maybe Z not gonna success if he not in Jakarta and also Y if he not in Java. Can you see how easy they get appreciate from other? Everyone like to support positive things there, everyone like what something new. Even trash!”

(i clam up)

“Now see who’s coming here and success. Tell me..WHO? Are they struggling enough?. Very few, they just coming here to do what they gonna do, but sometimes they run to other province or country to seek the ease. Look how hard W to being success right now? how L doing after 7years struggling, how M go after 25years beating? Are you comparing that?”

(i still clam up)

“This is what am doing for my entire life: looking people who came here and ridicule them because they going back home. They not survive here”

“i don’t wanna be that person, be ridiculed by you”, i replied.

“then be patient and keep pushing yourself, it’s not easy, it’s not ease, you live in place that appreciation cannot that easy to get, the place that ‘something new is just awkward’, the place that have been through unlimited war, the place that ‘trusting others’ are like a diamond;it’s arduous”

#SaveShark …really?

I do support #saveshark anyway, just want to figure out why people (activist/campaigner) sometimes just talk to media and not doing something directly on fisherman..well, i know they want to cutting the demand and consumption of Indonesian consumer..but seriously how about the fisherman livelihood?

Based on shark fishers, they catch it for filling demand from Medan. From a single fishing trip, they can earn up to IDR 5million per week (for 3 person in boat); it’s five times of fisher who don’t catch shark. The fins only, fetch IDR 500.000 per kilogram for Silver Tip Shark and IDR 1,2million per kg for the White Spot Guitar Fish.

Well, you true if you said: cut the demand – supply will also do. But, why not socialized it to fisherman? Why not giving them the solution…another chance for livelihood?

Yea, you know, even there’s a regulation, as long demand say yes they will do it again. But, how about if the fisherman have another opportunities to get well livelihood?

Don’t we already know, people will pay expensive for looking so much shark in the sea? the real one?

Shark in Simeulue Island (land), Aceh.

Conservation is basically to preserve the environment that contains flora and fauna. But the essence to save people as well.