Dog pulled from ruff seas 220 kms off Thai coast to be adopted by rescuer

Yahoo – AFP, April 16, 2019

Local charity Smile Dog House has been caring for the dog, who will be adopted
by the oil rig worker who found him at sea (AFP Photo/Handout)

An exhausted dog found paddling 220 kilometres (135 miles) off the Thai coast is set for a new lease on life after an oil rig worker who rescued him promised to adopt the plucky pooch.

The tan-coloured dog, named Boonrod by his rescuers -- Thai for "survivor from karma" -- was fished from the ocean on Friday by rig workers who spotted his head bobbing between the waves in the Gulf of Thailand.

There was no indication of how he got there, or how long he had been lost at sea.

But local media speculated he may have fallen off a fishing vessel and paddled towards the rig.

Boonrod the dog was welcomed on the shore with a lei of

 yellow flowers and lots of neck scratches from port workers 

(AFP Photo/Handout)

Boonrod is recovering in Songkhla province under the care of a vet, an animal charity group told AFP Tuesday.

"Since he came onto the platform, he didn't cry or bark at all," Chevron worker Vitisak Payalaw said in a Facebook post chronicling the dog's rescue.

"He likely lost a lot of body water from the sea water."

Vitisak told AFP in a message Tuesday he plans to adopt the now-famous canine once he returns to shore at the end of the month.

Boonrod stayed on the rig for two nights before another vessel picked the pooch up on its way back to shore, arriving at a port in Songkhla province on Monday morning.

Local charity Smile Dog House has been caring for 

the dog, who will be adopted by the oil rig worker who 

found him at sea (AFP Photo/Handout)

In a video posted by animal rights group Watchdog Thailand, Boonrod was welcomed on the shore with a lei of yellow flowers and lots of neck scratches from port workers.

"Thank you for seeing the value of a little life that floats so far," said Facebooker Wanna Wongvorakul.

Boonrod was placed in the care of local charity group Smile Dog House.

"So far his health is ok... it's only skin problems that he's suffering from now," a Smile Dog House staff told AFP.

Lizard skins, swordfish horns and two tonnes of coral recovered in police raid

DutchNews, August 29, 2016

Picture: Dutch police. 

Police and customs officers have seized a record haul of illegal animal products, including swordfish horns, mounted crocodiles and coral. 

Altogether two tonnes of coral, as well as snake and lizard skins and ivory from protected species, were recovered from five storage units in North Brabant, together with €500,000 in cash and gold. 

A spokesman for Rotterdam police said researchers spent three days categorising the collection, which was characterised by a ‘bizarre range and diversity’. 

The trail to the illegal depot began after a routine check at Rotterdam harbour uncovered 345 kilos of coral contained in 15 packing cases on a container ship from China. 

The owner of the company where the items were stored, a 53-year-old man, is under investigation but police said no arrests have been made.

Dog lost at sea off California surfaces alive one month on

Yahoo – AFP, March 17, 2016

This US Navy photo obtained March 17, 2016 shows Luna, an 18-month-old
German shepherd mix, reunited with Conner Lamb, a friend of her owner, at
 Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, after going missing for
five weeks (AFP Photo/MCSN Cynthia Jackson)

Los Angeles (AFP) - The US Navy was surprised this week to find a dog alive and well on an island off California a month after falling off its owner's boat.

Luna, a German shepherd with piercing blue eyes, went overboard in early February while its owner was fishing about a mile off San Clemente island, which is about 80 miles (127 kilometers) from the mainland.

Its owner asked Naval Base Coronado for help in finding the dog, but it was given up for dead after a search lasting several days.

"Fast forward to yesterday," the navy said on the base's Facebook page. "Luna showed up near staff at San Clemente Island -- a little thinner but none the worse for wear."

Luna was turned over to a friend of the owner for safekeeping until he returns from a trip, it said.

SeaWorld park to redesign controversial whale tank

BBC News, 16 August 2014

The new tanks will be twice the size as the current ones, which
animal rights groups say are too small

Related Stories

• Five killer whales 'sue' SeaWorld
• Whale kills SeaWorld trainer Watch
• Deadly orca back in Florida show

US marine theme park SeaWorld has announced it is to build a bigger tank for its killer whales, amid criticism of its treatment of the animals.

But the Florida company said that the plans were not in response to last year's documentary film "Blackfish".

The film suggested that captivity and SeaWorld's treatment provoked violent behaviour in the killer whales.

The high profile death of a trainer in front of a live audience in 2010 sparked worldwide outrage.

SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchinson said in a statement on Friday that the new tank, to be completed by 2018, would "transform how visitors experience killer whales".

The 2013 film 'Blackfish' argued that whales in captivity become
traumatised and turn violent

"Our guests will be able to walk alongside the whales as if they were at the shore, watch them interact at the depths found in the ocean, or a bird's eye view from above."

The new tank will be almost twice the size of its current orca tank, with 10 million gallons of water and a new depth of 50 feet (15m), and will include larger viewing points for visitors.

But Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) criticised the plans, calling them a "desperate move".

"A bigger prison is still a prison," it said in a statement.

The animal rights group warned that nothing but moving the orcas to seaside sanctuaries to feel and experience the ocean again and hear their families would "save the company", which has seen its profits slump in the past year since it went public.

Dawn Brancheau was killed by the whale 'Tilikum', whilst performing
in a show at SeaWorld in 2010

Peta filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld in 2012 and named five killer whales as plaintiffs, arguing that they deserved the same constitutional protection from slavery as humans.

Dawn Brancheau, 40, who had more than 16 years of experience in killer whale shows was killed whilst performing with "Tilikum".

She died from drowning and traumatic injuries after the whale bit and dragged her underwater in front of an audience.

Related Articles:

SeaWorld fined $75,000 after death of animal trainer

Whistleblower complaint by ex-SeaWorld chief Linda Simons claims negligence in drowning of trainer

Orcas put on show as ferry transports tribal artifacts to Bainbridge Island

Killer whales have been thrilling whale watchers this week in Puget Sound. But

they were especially exciting Tuesday when nearly three dozen orcas surrounded

 the ferry from Seattle as it approached the terminal on Bainbridge Island. NOAA

Fisheries Service photo by Candice Emmons

Conservationists Work With Fishermen to Save the Reefs

In Malang, coral repopulation is key, Dyah Ayu Pitaloka writes

Jakarta Globe, Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, November 10, 2013

Sahabat Alam has teamed up with local fishing communities to help repopulate
coral reefs. (JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

A group of volunteers, some still in their teens, walked up to the shoreline of Kondang Merak beach in Malang district, East Java.

Slowly they rolled up their jeans as small waves pounded their feet. They were each carrying pieces of coral that had been carefully attached to prefabricated wire mesh bearing the volunteers’ names.

The volunteers “donated between Rp 10,000 and Rp 50,000 ($0.88 to $4.40) each for this coral reef repopulation effort. Though there are also those who cannot afford to donate money but are able to give their time and power to plant coral reefs,” Andi Syaifudin said.

Andi is the chairman of Sahabat Alam (Nature’s Friend), which focuses on coral reef, mangrove and sea-turtle conservation around Kondang Merak beach.

The 5-square-kilometer area, located 62 kilometers south of Malang city, was once famous for being one of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots off the southern coast of Java.

“We fell in love with Kondang Merak because of its beautiful coral reefs and pristine white sands,” he said.

But since early 2000 the use of fish bombs and cyanide by local fishermen has contributed to the destruction of 80 percent of the local coral population.

With the reefs destroyed, residents in the area have lost their livelihoods, not only from dwindling fish populations but also from the declining number of divers visiting Kondang Merak’s five diving spots.

“Around five to 10 years ago we were able to get 50 kilograms of lobster each time we sailed out to sea,” local fisherman Edi said, adding that he could earn between Rp 400,000 to Rp 750,000 per kilogram.

“Now we consider ourselves lucky to get just 5 kilograms [of lobster],” he said.

Sahabat Alam has been teaching local fishing communities about the importance of coral reefs and how using fish bombs and cyanide in fishing poses a huge threat to their livelihoods.

“Lobsters like to hide in coral reefs and now the reefs have been destroyed,” said Edi, who joined Sahabat Alam’s coral repopulation drive. “Slowly we are realizing that we need to catch lobsters using techniques that will not harm the coral, by diving or using nets.”

The Malang district’s Maritime and Fisheries office noted that there are nine areas in Malang with critically damaged coral reef systems, including Kondang Merak. In these areas, coral reefs will disappear unless something is done.

Coral reefs not only provide a vital food source for the fish but also stop erosion and tidal waves.

At 10 more sites in Malang, coral reefs are considered fairly damaged, which means the reefs will be able to repopulate without human intervention if the damaging activities stop.

Wahyu Hidayat, local head of the Marine and Fisheries Agency, said the government has the necessary funding to repopulate the coral reefs but needs help from groups like Sahabat Alam for human resources and expertise.

“Any community willing to do real work will get our support,” he said.

Zainul Arifin, a Sahabat Alam member, said it is important to engage the local fishing community in conservation efforts.

Coral grows between 2 to 3 centimeters a month and needs to spend at least six months in nursery grounds before it can be planted in open water and survive on its own. During that period, they need constant care to keep sand and mold from getting into their pores and inhibiting their growth. That, Zainal said, is where the fishermen come in.

“A huge percentage of our donors’ money goes to the fishermen for this monitoring process. Without the involvement of the local fishing community it will be all for nothing,” he said.

Related Articles:

What's behind a coral reef's beauty? You'll never guess

Ethiopian utopian village goes against the grain

RI’s mangrove forests shrinks to 2 million ha

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 03/21/2010 11:31 PM

Indonesia’s mangrove forest area has shrunk from 4.2 million hectares in 1982 to 2 million hectares, according to an NGO.

People’s Coalition for Justice in Fisheries (Kiara) said Sunday the expansion of brackish fishponds was the main cause of the dwindling mangroves.

Kiara’s secretary general M. Riza Damanik said the deforestation had tipped the environmental balance in coastal areas, especially the declining fish production and rapid abrasions due to high waves.

“The government sees mangrove simply as a commodity that benefits a few people. The mangrove issue has demonstrated the government’s lack of environmental concern.”

The Royal Society, a science academy in Britain, recently released a report about the rapid loss of mangroves all over the world.

In Thailand, each hectare of brackish fishpond yields only US$9,600 for the owner. But the Thai government has to shoulder $1,000 in pollution cost, $12,400 in the loss of ecological functions, $8,400 in subsidies for local community and $9,300 to restore the mangrove forest.

Kiara notes the recent aggressive expansion of oil palm plantations had also worsened the situation because in some areas, the project affects coasts. — JP

Indonesia lagging behind in agribusiness development

Antara News, Friday, March 12, 2010 14:12 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is lagging far behind other Asian countries in agribusiness development, Vice President Boediono said here Friday.

"Compared with other Asian countries such as Thailand, our agribusiness sector is still st a low level of development," Boediono said in remarks to officially open "Agrinex International Expo 2010" here on Friday.

The vice president said that compared with other countries, the agribusiness sector in Indonesia had yet to integrate with other sectors to support national development.

"In other countries, the agribusiness sector has become one with the industrial and services sectors; agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry sectors have become one with the industrial and services sectors while in our country there is no inter-linkage among these sectors," the vice president said.

But he added Indonesia had great agribusiness potentials and the capability to catch up with the other countries.

"Our agribusiness potentials are extraordinarily big, even the biggest in Southeast Asia and Asia. We are the world`s largest producer of palm oil, rubber, and rice. We are also the largest producer of cacao, coffee, tea, volatile oils, and fish. And all of these are the basis for our agribusiness development to catch up with other countries," Boediono said.

The vice president said Indonesia was left behind in agribusiness development because business players prioritized short-term profits by selling agricultural goods as raw materials.

"In fact we still have a lot of added value from the agribusiness products and this means we have great potentials to catch up with other countries," Boediono said.

He said the government had improved its policies to support the agribusiness sector through infrastructure and human resources development.

After opening the exhibition, the vice president , accompanied by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad, visited a number of stands displaying agribusiness products.

President checks Tsunami Drill preparation in Manado

Manado (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Friday morning checks the preparation of tsunami drill which is to be conducted on Saturday, December 27, 2008.

On the occasion North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang, Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto Kadiman, and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi explained the official steps relating to activity to the president.

Indonesian flag flies over debris at Meulobah, Aceh Earthquake 9.2 / Tsunami Disaster December 2004

The tsunami simulation drill in Manado, North Sulawesi, was originally scheduled for Friday, December 26, but the president decided to adjourn it to Saturday because on Friday it was in conjunction with the second day of Christmas.

The simulation drill would be organized by the Research and Technology Ministry in cooperation with the Meteorology and Geophysics Aggency (BMG) in conjunction with the commemoration of the devastating tsunami that hit Aceh province on December 26, 2004.

After checking the preparation, President Yudhoyono and his entourage would leave Manado for Jakarta at 10:30 on Friday morning.

The chairman of the event`s organizing committee, HR Makagansa, said here recently that the tsunami simulation drill would need the participation of at least 15,000 volunteers who would be recruited from among the general public, civil servants, military, police and quarters responsible for rescue management in a tsunami disaster, students and medical staffers.

The committee had decided 11 points to be the tracks of evacuation during the simulation, among others Lorong Miftahul Janah, Pancaran Kasih Hospital, Tombariri viallge, Tomohon village, Kakas village, Piere Tendean street, Rex Mundi Foundation, Lorong Pondol, Gunung Langit, and the International Trade Center.

Some of the victims in the drill would be evacuated to the Adventist Hospital, Teling Hospital, and the North Sulawesi governor`s office.

Meanwhile, Governor SH Sarundajang said Manado city and coastal areas in North Sulawesi were prone to earthquakes capable of triggering tsunami.

North Sulawesi and Gorontalo provinces were jolted by three consecutive powerful earthquakes measuring 7.7, 6.0, and 5.7 on the Richter scale respectively last November 17, 2008.

Related Articles:

Kuntoro Mangkusubroto: Working as the hand of God in Aceh

Improvements seen four years after the Indian Ocean tsunami

Images of Aceh Earthquake 9.2 /Tsunami Disaster December 2004

Students make documentary film to send environmental message

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three Jakarta junior high school students who made a five-minute documentary film on mangrove forests won a video news competition Tuesday, beating hundreds of participants from more than 200 schools across the country.

The students of Jubilee School in West Jakarta documented the story of a mangrove forest in Pulau Rambut, Kepulauan Seribu Regency, which had been seriously damaged.

Adeline Tiffanie, the scriptwriter and reporter for the documentary, said her team, which also included Sean Trianto P. Kusmuljadi and Monica Celine Triono, chose to document the mangrove forest as they were concerned about its poor condition.

"The mangrove forest is significant in protecting the coast from abrasion and serves as a habitat for many living creatures including birds, fish and seaweed," said the eleven-year-old girl.

The winning team was selected by an independent panel of professional filmmakers and public figures in the "Kids Witness News" video education competition sponsored by PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia in cooperation with the Jakarta Arts Institute and Hope Worldwide Indonesia.

PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia commissioner Rahmat Gobel said this year's environment theme for the competition encouraged students to identify issues relating to climate change.

"With the problem of global warming, environmental issues have become more important," he said.

The company's president director, Ichiro Suganuma, told The Jakarta Post the project was also aimed at improving media content.

"Our company has created technology including video and television, but we also think it is important to improve the content of television itself," he said, adding the competition also encouraged students to develop valuable cognitive, communication and organizational skills.

The competition attracted 236 elementary and junior high schools from different parts of the country. On Tuesday, the top 10 teams, which won video equipment and the chance to attend a cinematography course at an arts institute, presented their films at Panasonic's office in East Jakarta.

The first winner received a gold trophy and a study trip to Singapore in December. The winning team will also represent Indonesia in the world competition in Osaka, Japan.

The "Kids Witness News" contest started in the USA in 1988. Up until 2006, more than 100,000 students around the world had participated in the competition.

In Indonesia, the competition took place for the first time in 2004.

Second place in this year's competition went to SMPN 4 state junior high school from Samarinda, East Kalimantan, while SDN 11 state elementary school from Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, won third place. The fourth and fifth-placed winners were SD Al Firdaus from Surakarta, Central Java, and SD Islam Dian Didaktika from Depok, West Java, respectively.

Rizka Amalia, 11, of SMPN 4 Samarinda told the Post about the school's film on orangutan conservation.

"Orangutans have been threatened severely, mainly from natural disasters and human abuse ... this will lead to their extinction," she said.

"Through the video, we want people to understand how important it is to help save the orangutans," she added.

Rizka's teacher, Aidha, said one of the difficulties the students faced in making the video was when they had to film the orangutan babies. The babies were very sensitive because they had witnessed their parents being killed by humans, which left them traumatized and scared of people.

The best thing about the project, Aidha said, was that it prompted the students to pay more attention to orangutans and care about them.

"My students read a book that explained how orangutans were exploited in a circus, and they were so angry. To see my students' reactions and sincere attitude was the most wonderful experience for me," she said. (dia)

Fishermen hamper mangrove reforestation efforts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Efforts to revitalize Jakarta's dwindling mangrove forests in Muara Angke have been hampered by local fishermen farming shrimp and fishing in the designated conservation area, a ranger from the Forestry Ministry told The Jakarta Post last week.

Angke Kapuk mangrove reserve ranger Resijati Wasito said fish farmers had cleared approximately 80 percent of the 100 hectare wetlands.

The reforestation program has been hindered by fishermen rearing milk fish and shrimp and removing mangrove trees and their roots, he said.

"It's hard to deal with the illegal fishermen. We've asked them to leave, because this conservation area belongs to the Forestry Ministry, but they keep returning.

"They damaged seedlings we planted, and even threatened us with machetes to try to stop us planting more trees," Resijati said.

He said there were currently some 30 fishermen and their families living in shanties in the Angke Kapuk reserve, even though the land was acquired by the ministry in 1988.

Resijati told the Post the government also gave compensation to fishermen who left the area, but those efforts appeared to be fruitless.

"We continue to ask them to leave because we have no authority to expel them. We've also asked for military personnel to protect new trees," he said.

The reserve has changed substantially with the fish farming. Where once stood a shady forest of mangrove trees, now there are only milk fish ponds.

In 2002 the Forestry Ministry and the reserve developer, PT Murindra Karya Lestari, planted some 50,000 mangrove seedlings, but most of them were uprooted by fishermen, leaving only around 100, Resijati said.

Since 2004 some 14,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted with better supervision. Around 10,000 can now be seen near the ponds.

Resijati said left undisturbed it would take seedlings nearly 10 years to grow into a forest.

Kapuk Angke natural reserve, together with the nearby Muara Angke wildlife reserve and protected forest, are the only remaining mangrove forest sites in Jakarta, whose coastline stretches some 32 kilometers from east to west. The three reserve sites total some 170 hectares.

Most of Jakarta's mangrove forests have been cleared not only for fish farming, but also for building developments, which have an even greater environmental impact, Resijati said.

He said mangrove forest wetlands play a crucial role in slowing the abrasion of beaches, protecting the city from big ocean waves and flooding, and serve as a nursery for marine life and a feeding grounds for a large number of animals.

The forests, he said, also function as green belts, protecting groundwater in nearby areas from salination. (wda)

S'pore contributing S$1m to help tackle haze in Jambi, Indonesia

Channelnewsasia.com

SINGAPORE : Singapore is providing S$1 million to an area in Indonesia's Jambi province to help tackle the haze.

The money is earmarked for training officials and providing technical equipment.

The assistance is part of a masterplan signed between Singapore and Indonesia focusing on fire prevention.

The haze which hit Singapore last year was said to be the worst in decades, so a plan has been in the pipeline since March to root out the problem.

To fight the haze, the first phase of the masterplan will see two stations set up in Jambi regency later in November.

The stations, costing some S$500,000, will automatically monitor the weather and air quality as well as measure the temperature.

The plan is to have the stations working by the next haze season from July.

Two batches of Jambi officials will also be trained in Singapore in the first quarter of next year.

They will be trained to read and interpret satellite pictures so as to locate possible fire hotspots.

Driving the bilateral masterplan is the National Environment Agency (NEA).

"The difference now is that we are working with a province - the local officials. We have gone down to the ground, talk to the farmers and plantation owners to understand where the gaps and weaknesses are, then we can work on specific action plans," said Lee Yuen Hee, CEO of NEA.

At this stage, the NEA plans a total of six or seven programmes over the next one or two years.

But the Jambi government recognises that local farmers need alternative livelihoods. It is drawing up programmes to develop higher income rubber and palm plantations as opposed to vegetable cultivation. It is also proposing fishing and tourism industries.

Singapore Food Industries has expressed an interest to develop the local fishing industry.

While all parties are happy with the plans to tackle the haze, changing mindsets remains a challenge.

"If we can institute reform in our ways of land clearing in particular, we can make the local farmers more productive," said Rachmat Witoelar, Indonesia's State Minister of Environment.

Indonesia wants to use non-burning techniques to burn cleared vegetation. The country claims that it can turn the waste into fertiliser or compost.

Under the masterplan, the Jambi model can also be used for other fire-prone districts in Indonesia.

- CNA /ls

People seek role in dealing with disasters

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

John Lennon would be pleased to lend his tune Power To The People to thousands of demonstrators gathering this weekend as they attempt to engage the public and force the government to empower ordinary Indonesians in disaster prevention.

Over 1,600 activists from various non-governmental organizations from across the country are to convene here from Sunday to Monday to review the role of the public in protecting itself from both natural and man-made disasters. It will also look at ways the government can facilitate the concept.

The 2007 Law on Disaster Mitigation, Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) director Chalid Muhammad said Friday, does not focus on public involvement in anticipating disasters but rather forces their dependence on the government.

"If a disaster hits, it's the people who deal with it first, but their involvement in preventing disasters is little. They must be made able to help themselves before any disaster hits," he said.

Chalid said that 83 percent of Indonesian territory is prone to disasters and over 95 percent of the population is subject to these conditions. The government, he said, should make the most of local methods of mitigating and adapting to disasters.

Indonesia regularly suffers flash flooding, landslides and earthquakes, which experts and green groups attribute to faulty environmental management such as large-scale land conversions, illegal logging and mining in protected forests.

Government action on the matter, he said, is inadequately reactive rather than preventative.

Empowering the people, said Walhi expert Rizal Damanik, would involve allowing locals access to vulnerable areas and encouraging their involvement in building disaster-alert systems within their societies.

The disaster mitigation law mandates the promulgation of a national strategic plan for disaster mitigation, which critics say would rely "on the government giving and the people taking".

But Walhi said each region has its own unique way of dealing with disasters that might not be accommodated by the government plan, and that this weekend's convention would draw a summary of these practices.

Officials to attend the Sunday opening of the three-day event include State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar and Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Freddy Numberi.

On the last day, participants will visit the House, the Regional Representatives Council, the National Development Planning Agency and the Finance Ministry to submit the event's results.

Acknowledging that the results may well be shelved by the government, Chalid said the bigger task is to ensure they are applicable locally and to push civil organizations to raise public awareness and involvement.

"The basic idea of this, at the end of the day, is to muster a people-based disaster mitigation system. The results we expect to come up with can hopefully be integrated into ensuing legislation such as ordinances and government regulations," he said.

Massive waves pound beaches in Bali, Java

The Jakarta Post, Bandung, Yogyakarta

Massive waves have pounded Indonesia's coastlines since Thursday destroying fishing boats and shacks and creating widespread panic in Bali where thousands of tourists are holidaying for the long weekend, Reuters said Friday.

The weather pattern is unusual and not in-line with annual forecasts, officials said. No casualties have been recorded to-date.

Parts of the southern coast of Java island and Sukabumi area in West Java have been affected by water coming into villages and forcing residents to evacuate.

Weather officials have warned fishermen against sailing off southern Java and authorities have forbidden people from surfing at Kuta beach until the weather subsides.

Some officials and media reports have referred to the weather phenomenon as a regular set of tidal waves that have been exaggerated because the moon is in line with the sun, Reuters said.

Waves as high as four and five meters have struck Bali's Jimbaran resort area, destroying more than 100 fishing boats and forcing the popular restaurant strip to be evacuated.

At Kuta beach in Bali, three- and four-meter-high waves also forced tourists to desert the area.

The Water Tourism Safety Agency office in Bali asked its workers on Friday to take special preventive measures because the waves were expected to continue into Sunday.

"We are working hard. We have fielded 80 workers to keep tourists from coming to the beach," Bali's water safety agency coordinator I Made Suparka told Antara.

"Many of the workers will keep their eyes on tourists using 12 towers along the 20-km Bali beach."

The guards have also asked vendors selling food, beverages and handicrafts to abandon the beaches and avoid the dangerous waves.

Bali Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AS Reniban told marine tourism operators and all fishermen to stay out of sea.

On Friday the waves destroyed fishing houses on Kedongan and Jimbaran beaches in Bali, as well as other houses and food stalls in the popular Pangandaran beach in Ciamis, West Java.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in Bandung, West Java has asked tourists spending the long weekend in the area to avoid beaches.

Agency head Hendri Subakti said the tidal waves might reach as far as 100 meters inland and would continue for the next three days.

The tides have struck West Java southern coastal areas, from Sukabumi to Pangandaran, damaging hundreds of food stalls, kiosks and houses.

Much damage has been recorded at Pelabuhan Ratu beach in Sukabumi.

Hendri said hundreds of kiosks on the beach, which is located 160 km from Bandung, were swept away by the four-meter-high waves.

"We have asked tourists and fishermen to abandon the sea to avoid casualties," Hendri said.

"This is dangerous because we had no indication the waves would strike."

Hendri however offered another explanation for the tidal waves. He said they were a natural phenomenon and an accumulation of monsoon weather near the Indian Ocean adjacent to Australia.

He said the wind associated with the weather had reached speeds of 25 knots per hour.

Nana Sukarna of the Sukabumi regency disaster mitigation coordination unit said 61 houses and food stalls in Pelabuhan Ratu beach had been swept away by the tides.

"Currently, hundreds of families have been evacuated to the representative office of Pelabuhan Ratu regent," Nana said.

In southern Garut, the tides have damaged 13 houses, according to Garut Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Eko Budi Sampurno.

"The sea suddenly rose and reached 100 meters inland," he said.

In Yogyakarta's Samas beach, two-meter-high waves have destroyed more than 10 houses and food stalls, as well as damaging approximately 60 fishing boats.

Head of Yogyakarta's Samas beach fishermen association, Rudjito, told The Jakarta Post on Friday the waves had made people panic.

"There were no strong winds or any storm -- but suddenly the waves struck.

"This kind of phenomenon is the first I've experienced ever. Nature is no longer friendly," he said.

Violent waves have also made tourists abandon West Sumatra's busy beach in Padang since Thursday, with the seawater flooding roads located 10 meters away from the beach.

-- Syofiardi Bachyul Jb. contributed to the story from Padang, West Sumatra

Aceh province moves to exploit natural-resource potential

Andi Haswidi, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Aceh is a province that is blessed by abundant natural resources and wealth that have long lain undeveloped due to a 32-year insurgency that only recently came to an end.

Now, in a new era of peace and development after the long years of civil unrest and the 2004 tsunami disaster, the opportunities for business appear almost endless in the country's westernmost province.

The region is blessed with bountiful mineral, energy, marine, agricultural and plantation resources that are now open to new investment.

According to a recent report from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the province holds an estimated 20 million tons of gold, 600 million tons of copper, 32 million tons of platinum, 32 million tons of mercury, 53,000 tons of lead, 350,000 tons of iron ore, 6.4 million tons of iron sand and 600 million tons of molybdenum.

On top of all that, it also boasts some 114 billion tons of coal reserves.

"The mining and energy potentials described by the report illustrate just how big the opportunities are. And almost all of these resources have never been touched before due to the long years of conflict," Aceh Investor Outreach Office director Syafruddin Chan told The Jakarta Post in Banda Aceh on Wednesday.

The mining and energy sectors should serve as the locomotive to get the province's economic growth back on track. Things have already started to move thanks to the Rp 60 trillion (about US$6.6 billion) being invested in rehabilitation projects.

But there is a growing concern that the provincial economy could grind to a virtual halt again after the rehabilitation work by the Aceh and Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) is completed in 2009.

"We are currently focusing on agricultural and marine products as regards developing the province's economy. However, in the future, the most promising sector will be energy and minerals, such as coal," BRR economics and business deputy Said Faisal Baabud told the Post earlier this week.

Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf has acknowledged the importance of mineral resources in the provincial economic plan, despite their adverse consequences for the environment.

In order to minimize destructive environmental impacts, the provincial administration has introduced tight licensing procedures for mining operations.

"We have received a lot of mining exploration proposals, but so far have only licensed three companies," he said as quoted by the local Serambi daily in its Wednesday edition.

In the agricultural sector, key commodities grown in the province include rice, corn, soybeans, nuts, sweet potatoes and other edible tubers.

In 2005 alone, only a year after the tsunami disaster, the rice fields of Aceh produced 1.4 million tons of the national staple. In the same year, Aceh also produced 59,370 tons of Arabica and Robusta coffee, 250,000 tons of crude palm oil (CPO) and 78,031 tons of rubber.

The potential of the marine and fisheries industry in Aceh has yet to be developed. The province has a coastline extending to 1,600 square kilometers, and an exclusive economic zone (ZEE) of 534,520 square kilometers. In all, the province has the potential to produce 173,045 tons of fisheries products per year, excluding the ZEE.

With the help of the World Bank's private sector development firm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the province has begun to promote the farming of what are touted to be the world's best black tiger shrimps. Production currently amounts to about 8,000 tons per year, and the industry has the potential to generate annual foreign exchange earnings of up to $50 million.

Investment procedures in Aceh have also been simplified through the establishment of the Aceh One-Stop Investment Service (KPTSP). Business permits can now be processed in 7 working days under normal circumstances, and in one or two days in special cases if all the requirements have been satisfied.

"Aceh is now in need of foreign investors to bring in the capital and the technological know-how to help increase the value of our products. For those who invest a minimum of Rp 5 billion, we are ready to exempt them from paying local taxes," KPTSP director Said Yulizal promised.

For some early birds, the promise of more relaxed investment procedures has been too good to miss. Since it was set up two months ago, the KPTSP has issued more than 1,000 business permits to local and foreign investors.

All rescued after ferry sinks near Bali

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian search and rescue teams have found all 11 passengers and crew from a ferry which sank off the resort island of Bali, reports said Monday.

Nine were rescued by a passing cargo ship on Monday after they were found floating in their lifejackets in the Java sea, AFP reported citing ElShinta radio.

Two others had managed to make it to Pantai Bukti beach on the northeast of Bali on Sunday.

All 11 survivors, including six crew, were being treated at a hospital in Gresik, in East Java.

The "Sinar Baru" was en route to Lombok from the Javanese port of Surabaya when it sank after strong currents and huge waves hit the vessel.

"Sea water had flooded the motor of the Sinar Baru and water started entering the ship. At the time the chief mechanic was asleep," a local government official told ElShinta.

"The ship was already near the port but it started to sway violently and sank just before reaching it," the official said.

It was the third Indonesian ferry to sink in less than a week.

A ferry with some 600 people sank late Friday in a storm off Java while a ferry carrying 100 people from Sumatra island to Bangka island capsized late Thursday, killing at least three people.

Nine Persons Missing In Ferry Accident In Indonesia

December 31, 2006 8:00 a.m. EST

Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent

Jakarta, Indonesia (AHN) - At least nine persons were reported missing when a passenger ferry with 11 people on board disappeared on Sunday off the Indonesian resort island of Bali, authorities said.

Reports from the state's official Antara news agency said that two passengers of the missing "Sinar Baru" had managed to make it to Pentai Buktu beach, some 69 miles northeast of Bali's capital Densapar. The boat was en route to Lombok from Surabaya when it disappeared.

Ketut Parwa, an official from Bali said the boat was reported missing at 3:30 am (local time) on Sunday.

He said search and rescue teams have been dispatched in the area to look for any survivors and to search for the missing boat.

Parwa said, We have yet to receive information from the two people who survived the ordeal as they are still in shock."

The latest missing boat is the third in the past few days. On Friday night, a passenger ferry carrying over 600 passengers sank off Java after encountering a storm. Another ferry with 100 people on board and en route to Bangka island from Sumatra island, capsized Thursday, killing at least three people.

Ferry Carrying Hundreds Sinks Near Java

By NINIEK KARMINI / AP 12.30.06, 6:33 AM ET

A crowded Indonesian ferry broke apart and sank in the Java Sea during a violent storm that sent towering waves over its deck, and the vast majority of the 600 passengers were still missing a day later, officials said Saturday.

Raging seas have hampered rescue efforts and about 14 hours after the disaster, just 66 survivors had been found, many drifting in lifeboats, officials said. No bodies had been found, leaving more than 500 passengers unaccounted for.

"We all just prayed as the waves got higher," said Cholid, a passenger who survived by clinging to some wooden planks but who lost his 18-year-old daughter.

People fought over lifejackets as the boat capsized, sending cars crashing into one another in the cargo hold, he said.

"I was going upstairs to try to help my daughter, but the ship suddenly broke up and I was thrown out. I lost her," said Cholid, who like many Indonesians uses one name.

Waves of up to 16 feet crashed over the deck of the ship around midnight Friday during the final leg of a 48-hour journey from the island of Borneo to the main island of Java, said Slamet Bustam, an official at Semarang port, the ferry's destination, where hundreds of distraught relatives and friends waited for news about their loved ones.

"We're afraid many have died," Bustam said.

Two naval ships were searching the area, but poor visibility was hindering their search.

Authorities struggled to come up with an accurate number of those on board. Earlier, Bustam said there 850 passengers, but later lowered the number to 600. Local media said that between 500 and 800 were on board.

Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa put the number of passengers at 542, citing the passenger manifest. Ships in Indonesia, however, often carry far more passengers than recorded, making it hard for authorities to say with accuracy how many people were on board.

In a final radio contact, the captain informed port authorities that the ship was severely damaged and capsizing, said local navy commander Col. Yan Simamora.

Worried family members gathered at the main office of ferry operator PT Prima Fista, weeping and demanding details about the fate of their loved ones.

"I am waiting for my mother, auntie, sister and nephew who were on their way to celebrate New Year's Eve at my house," said Yulis, 25.

The ferry ran into trouble 24 miles off Mandalika island, some 190 miles northeast of the capital, Jakarta, while en route to Semarang on Central Java from the port of Kumai on Borneo island.

Seasonal storms have wreaked havoc across Indonesia in recent days, unleashing flash floods and landslides that have killed more than 145 people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes on Sumatra.

Earlier Friday, a different vessel carrying around 100 people capsized in bad weather off the coast of northwestern Sumatra, killing three and leaving 26 missing, Radjasa said.

Ferries are a main source of transportation in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands with a population of 220 million.

RI seeks ties in fisheries field with Mideast

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post - 2006-12-29 15:56:48

Jakarta, December 29, 2006 (The Jakarta Post) - Indonesia will start building a fish canning center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, early next year, in an attempt to push its marine and fisheries products into the Middle Eastern market, an official says.

Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry secretary general Widi A. Pratikto said that the Middle Eastern markets had huge potential for Indonesian food and fish products and could become alternatives to traditional markets in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

"Jeddah is a city close to countries in both the Middle East and North Africa. It can become an entry point for our products to many countries there," he told The Jakarta Post during a workshop on developing cooperation in the marine and fisheries sector between Indonesia and the Middle East here Thursday.

"We hope that Indonesian businesspeople can seize this golden opportunity. We will help them if they are serious," he added.

Several companies, he said, had expressed interest in being involved in the construction of the canning center as well as becoming fish suppliers to the center.

Trade relations, including fish exports and imports, between Indonesia and the Middle East are still relatively minor compared to other regions. Indonesia's fish exports to Middle Eastern countries, for instance, constitute less than 5 percent of its total fish exports, US$2 billion this year.

"80 percent of our fish exports go to Japan, Europe and the U.S. That's why we're trying to open the market in the Middle East, to diversify our markets as well as lessen our dependence on the three markets," the ministry's director at the data, statistics and information center, Saut P. Hutagalung, said.

So far, he said, Indonesia had already signed memorandums of understanding on marine and fisheries cooperation with Algeria and Iran.

"We hope we can immediately sign bilateral memorandums of understanding in marine and fisheries with Egypt and other countries in Africa, such Somalia and Mozambique. Many of our businesspeople have expressed interests in catching fish in African waters," Saut said.