Mystery surrounds a 30 km long bamboo fence along the Java Sea coastline
Local fishermen raised the alarm after losing direct access to the sea. Some speculate that the barrier is part of PIK2, a government-backed residential and commercial project. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Fisheries has blocked access to the area. Some statements blaming fishermen for the fence are not deemed credible.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The discovery of a mysterious 30.16-kilometre-long bamboo fence in the Java Sea, north of Tangerang, has left Indonesians disconcerted. A group of fishermen raised the alarm last week, expressing their concerns on social media.
For almost a week, the authorities and residents have been trying to figure out who and why the structure was put up, with various theories advanced.
The fence, which is six metres high and made of woven bamboo poles and sandbag weights, spans six subdistricts, touching several villages, including Kronjo, Kemiri, Mauk, Sukadiri, Pakuhaji and Teluknaga.
Fishermen complain that the fence interferes with their work.
Some speculate that it is part of PIK2 (Pantai Indah Kapuk II), a large residential and commercial project that once completed would run from the north of the capital, Jakarta, to Tangerang regency, on its western border.
At a press conference, a spokesman for the project categorically denied any involvement, stressing that the PIK2 project began in 2009 and had no relation to the mystery fence.
Still, in Ketapang, a village in Tangerang Regency, which is part of Jakarta’s wider metropolitan area, fishermen told Mongabay, a conservation news web portal, that after a group of boats tried to remove the fence, employees of a property developer quickly rebuilt it, showing a permit issued by the village administration.
According to the head of the subdistrict that includes Ketapang, the fence delimits the area of a port envisaged in the PIK2 project.
For their part, local authorities note that it now takes up to an hour and a half longer for fishermen to reach the open sea, while the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, in response to the outcry, ordered the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to seal off access to the fence.
In early 2024, several civil society groups expressed surprise when the government, then still led by President Joko Widodo, included PIK2 in the list of projects with national priority. Such a designation protects developers from lawsuits, cuts red tape, and gets government help in buying land, Mongabay notes.
Recently, former President Joko Widodo has been accused of favouring large real estate interests to the detriment of local communities. His backers have rejected the accusations, but the debate remains heated.
While the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries continues its investigation to find those responsible, a group of local fishermen, Jaringan Rakyat Pantura (JPR), claim that the structure was erected to prevent coastal erosion.
“The sea fence that stretches along the north coast of Tangerang Regency was deliberately built independently by the community,” said a JRP member.
But most locals view this with scepticism. “Since when have Indonesian fishermen invested such large sums to tackle marine erosion?" said Felix, a local resident, speaking to AsiaNews.
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12/12/2023 17:24
05/06/2020 12:42
