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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The existence of a sea fence in the form of thousands of bamboos lined up offshore in the waters of Tangerang Regency, Banten, and Bekasi Regency, West Java raises questions.
In addition to being declared unlicensed or illegal by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), its existence also disrupts the activities of local fishermen.
Finally, on Saturday, January 18, 2025, the Indonesian Navy deployed 300 personnel and residents to dismantle the sea fence, and will continue until it is finished.
Head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service, First Admiral I Made Wira Hady, said that the dismantling of the 30.16-kilometer illegal sea fence in Tangerang waters was carried out on the orders of President Prabowo Subianto. "This task is a direct instruction from President Prabowo through TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto to us," he said when contacted, Saturday, January 18, 2025.
So, what exactly is this sea fence and its function?
In Tangerang waters, a sea fence was installed offshore for 30.16 kilometers and crossed 16 villages in six sub-districts. It stretches across three villages in Kronjo and Kemiri Sub-districts and in Pakuhaji Sub-district, four villages in Mauk Sub-district, one village in Sukadiri Sub-district and two villages in Teluknaga Sub-district.
Until now, it is not known who was behind the establishment of the Tangerang sea fence. The Pantura People's Network (JRP) claims that they were the ones who built the 30.16-kilometer sea fence with the aim of mitigating and preventing abrasion. JRP Coordinator Sandi Martapraja said that the construction was carried out by the community independently.
"The sea fence that stretches along the north coast of Tangerang Regency was deliberately built independently by the community," said Sandi in Tangerang, Banten on Saturday, January 11, 2025 as reported by Antara.
Polemics also hit the Bekasi sea fence. The two-kilometer-long bamboo poles with a width of 70 meters stretch across the waters of Segarajaya Village, Tarumajaya District, Bekasi Regency, West Java. The sea fence made of thousands of bamboos forms a long line resembling a dike, with a stretch of water in the middle that resembles a river.
The West Java Provincial Government explained that the sea fence is part of the arrangement of the Paljaya Fish Landing Base (PPI) port channel that is currently being built. The PPI was built to facilitate the entry and exit of fishermen from the open sea to the Landing Base to load and unload their catch.
"So later on land we will build the PPI so that later fishermen will be centralized to conduct fish auctions at the Paljaya PPI," said Head of the Muara Ciasem Fisheries Port UPTD, West Java Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service (DKP) Ahman Kurniawan, Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
Understanding sea fences and their functions
A sea fence is actually a general term used to describe a barrier built offshore. The materials used as fences are usually long wood or bamboo poles. The wood or bamboo is planted parallel at a certain distance for a purpose.
Reported from the publication entitled Monsoon Wave Transmission at Bamboo Fences Protecting Mangroves in the Lower Mekong Delta in Sciencedirect by Tuan Thieu Quang, this sea fence is often found in tropical areas such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Fences are usually installed as an effort to minimize coastal erosion on mangrove mud beaches.
This bamboo sea fence is an alternative to concrete wave breakers. In addition to being said to be less risky - concrete fences are at risk of breaking ship hulls - the fence has a similar function to mangrove plants. Namely, dampening waves and increasing sediment trapping.
Although effective, research shows that bamboo sea fences have drawbacks. The fence cannot withstand high waves and requires frequent maintenance and repair. Therefore, its use is most suitable in areas with low wave energy. Especially those that aim to support new mangrove planting in the early stages of reforestation.
The research is in line with the research of Cong Mai Van et al in the publication Bamboo Fences as a Nature-Based Measure for Coastal Wetland Protection in Vietnam which was uploaded in the Original Research journal. Sigi by a number of students in Hanoi, Vietnam revealed that bamboo sea fences are more effective when used as a substitute for mangrove forests in the early stages of planting.
"Bamboo or melaleuca fences have been used as a nature-based solution to reduce waves and currents approaching the coast as a temporary substitute for mangrove forests along the Mekong Delta coast of Vietnam," the study wrote.
The early stages of mangrove reforestation need to be given sea fences because they are very sensitive to the surrounding environment, such as economic activities and especially, the presence of coastal buildings. The sensitivity of mangroves becomes more significant especially in the era of rising sea levels, making it the most vulnerable ecosystem in the world.
Meanwhile, responding to JRP's statement, according to the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), bamboo sea fences like those in Tangerang waters are not the most effective way to mitigate disasters and prevent abrasion. According to Andreas, planting and preserving mangrove forests or coastal belts are more effective.
"I think there are other more effective ways if we want to talk about climate change mitigation or adaptation," said Andreas Aditya Salim, Program Director at IOJI, via telephone on Monday, January 13, 2025.
On the other hand, the existence of the sea fence is actually detrimental to local fishermen. One of the fishermen around the Bekasi sea fence, Mitun, 28 years old, said that the activities of the surrounding community were greatly disrupted by the presence of the sea fence. Especially for those who work as fishermen. Because, since the bamboo fence was erected, he and hundreds of other fishermen have had difficulty finding fish.
"It's really disrupted, before the road there was straight, now the road goes really far. "Yes, it's covered by the sea fence," said Mitun to reporters at the location, Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
Sultan Abdurrahman, Adi Warsono, Novali Panji Nugroho, and Ananda Ridho Sulistya contributed to the writing of this article.
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