N RAL Fl H RI.

D AND RICULTURE ORGANIZATION

0 TH UNITED NATIONS

WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING
MARINE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT
IN INDONESIA

JAKARTA, 23 APRIL 1996

TCP/IN/4553 (A)

WORKSHOP TECHNICAL PAPER NO. 3

'INT GRAT D INFRASTRUCTURE

M NT PROPOSAL FOR M RAUKE

J. SCIORTINO
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1 EASTERN INDONESIA APPENDIX 1

FIGURE 2 DISTRICT OF MERAUKE 2

FIGURE 3 MARO RIVER ESTUARY- MERAUKE 3

FIGURE 4 COMMERCIAL MOORINGS AND ANCHORAGE 4

 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 INDUSTRIAL FLEET- MERAUKE PAGE4

TABLE 2 DEVELOPMENT MODEL 9

ii
 TERMS OF REFERENC

The Terms of Reference for the marine fisheries infrastructure mission

(TCP/INS/4553A), which was scheduled to be fielded in October 1995, were as
follows:

a. Review infrastructure facilities and management at selected sites for

improvement;
b. Carry out feasibility study for upgrading, expansion or new construction of ports
facilities in major landing centres in the priority areas of the project, ie Maluku,
Irian Jaya, which include engineering, financial, economic, cost recovery and
environmental assessment;
c. Assess fishery infrastructure/harbour needs of the industry basing on the fleet
structure determined by fishing vessel expert;
d. Recommend training programmes on harbour development and management.

However, during the first meeting held between the project team led by Mr Tan Cheng
Kiat and the Directorate General of Fisheries led by Mr A.M. Djoko Sugiarto, it was
agreed that the project could not handle both sites in the time frame allowed prior to
the workshop. It was hence agreed to drop Maluku from the programme and
concentrate only on Irian Jaya.

The mission travelled to the selected area in Irian Jaya during the second week in
March 1996.

This paper, Technical Paper No 3, deals with the development proposals for the
District of Merauke whereas the second paper, Technical Paper No 7, deals with
harbour development and management at the macro level.

iii
 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The town of Merauke, located in the District of Merauke, Figures 1 and 2, was
singled out for development in 1979 by the Directorate General of Fisheries (DGF)
and the Provincial Government; at the time, Merauke lacked any sort of fisheries
infrastructure.

A fish landing facility or Pangkalan Pendaratan lkan, known locally as a PPI, was
proposed to cater for the anticipated fleet, landings, auction and export of fish. By
definition, a PPI consists of a landing jetty and associated shore based infrastructure. ·

A feasibility study [1 J was duly submitted in 1988 for a sub-project for the construction
of a PPI at Merauke. The project was accompanied by a cost/benefit analysis which
gave a minimum Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) of 19,9%. The sub-project
also appeared to comply with the selection criteria for financing under the Asian
Development Bank Fisheries Infrastructure Sector Project Loan. Construction started
in 1993 and terminated in early 1995.

Towards the end of 1995 the DGF moved into offices at the newly completed PPI
expecting to attract investment into the area. Since its completion, however, the PPI
has not been utilised by either the industrial or the artisanal fleets.

To date, the DGF's offices constitute the only activity at the site of the PPI.

The mission visited the town of Merauke during the second week iri March 1996 to
try to understand the dynamics of the local fishing industry and propose development
strategies for the future.

2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION

2.1 Location
The town of Merauke (LAT so 29'S LONG 1400 24'E) is the capital of the District of
Merauke, Figures 1 & 2. The District of Merauke lies between LONG 13r and 141 o
E and LAT 5° and 9 S and covers an area of approximately 120,000 sq.km,
equivalent to 29% of the total surface area of the province of Irian Jaya. The coastal
zone (0 to -1Om) covers an area of 75,000 sq.km. The town of Merauke is
approximately 650 Km due South of the provincial capital, Jayapura.

2.2 Weather & Tides

The weather in Merauke is divided into two seasons; the wet season and the dry
season. The wet season lasts 5 months and covers the months from December to
April whereas the dry season lasts from May to November. The rainfall ranges from
1200 to 1500 mm/year with an average number of 115 wet days per year. The
temperature ranges from 25° to 30° C.
 2

The tide along the coastline of the District of Merauke ranges from a minimum of 5
metres to a maximum of 7 metres.

2.3 Topography & Rivers

The coastal areas of Merauke District are very flat (typically mangrove), rising inland
at a slope of around 8%.

The rise and fall of the tide affects a coastal strip 50-60 Km wide. The coastline is
predominantly mangrove and intercepted by no less than 8 major river estuaries
(Bian, Maro, Digul, Yuliana, Lorentz, Unir, Kouh and Brazza) which carry abundant
loads of silt and nutrients to the coastal zone. The town of Merauke is situated on the
eastern bank of the last bend in the river Maro estuary. Opposite the old town, on the
bend, lies a deep water anchorage (up to 10 metres at low tide). Downstream of the
anchorage the river depth does not exceed 1 metre at low tide.

Upstream of the anchorage the river narrows considerably and enters a series of very
sharp bends, seriously hampering navigation of large vessels upstream.

2.4 Geology
The coastal areas of the District of Merauke consist mainly of sand and silty mud
brought down by the rivers and deposited along the coastal zone. The silty mud is
covered by vast expanses of mangrove swamps, home to a large variety of animal
species.

2.5 Access
A direct road from the provincial capital, Jayapura, to the town of Merauke is still
under construction. Merauke is connected by a daily flight to Jayapura and a twice
weekly flight to Darwin via Ambon. In 1996, a new direct service to Darwin should
come on stream. A sea ferry also connects Merauke to Sorong and Jayapura via a
2 week crujse.

2.6 Utilities
The town of Merauke already has a power station running on large diesel-powered
generators. The fuel comes via Pertamina's oil terminal at Merauke itself.
The telecommunications system appears to be very advanced with phone services
widely available throughout the town.

Water in limited supplies is piped in from a lake 60 Km North of the town, where it is
treated and stored underground.

Merauke has no sewerage system and most households discharge through septic
tanks.
 3

3.0 EXISTING SITUATION

The existing situation regarding tile fishing fleets in the District of Merauke appears
to differ quite considerably to the one obtaining during the initial feasibility studies [1 ].
The artisanal fleet in particular has expanded considerably and the industrial
companies have moved from mainly shrimp to mainly demersal species.

3.1 Classification of vessels and fishermen in Indonesia

In marine fisheries, the vessels are classified as follows :

(i) Non-powered boats

(a) dug out canoes
(b) plank-built boats - small (less than 7m)
medium ( 7- 10m)
large (more than 1Om)
(ii) out-board powered boats

iii in-board powered boats less than 5 GT

5- 10 GT,10- 20 GT, 20- 30 GT, 30- 50 GT, 50- 100 GT, 100-200 GT and
200 GT and over

For the purpose of this study, all vessels from canoes up to 30 GT are grouped under
small scale fisheries. Vessels over 30 GT are considered as industrial fishery
vessels. It is to be noted that in Indonesia, two methods of computing a vessel's
Gross Tonnage (GT) are employed; the first is the internationally recognised "Oslo
69" convention and the second is a local method which appears to over-estimate the
GT.

Based on their working time, fishermen in Indonesia are classified as follows:

(a) Full timer
(b) Part timer (major)
(c) Part timer (minor)
A fisherman who spends all his working time fishing;
A fisherman who spends a major part of his working
time fishing;
A fisherman who spends a minor part of his working
time fishing.

3.2 INDUSTRIAL FISHING FLEET

At the time of writing, four Indonesian fishing companies (Djarrna Aru, Timika, lstana
& Pelagis) were found to be operating in Merauke District.

PT Djarma Aru, part of the Djayanti Group and wholly Indonesian, has set up its own
custom built company port at Wanam, Figure 2. This company operates a fleet of gill
netters and targets demersal species.
PT Timika, operates out of Timika but uses Merauke town as base for its southern
fleet operations, including transhipment of frozen fish from fishing trawlers targeting
 4

demersal species.

PT lstana, runs a fleet of 28 gill netters.

PT Pelagis, an offshoot of Timika. operates a smaller fleet of trawlers from Merauke
town.

The table below gives a breakdown of the respective fleets.

COMPANY No VESSELS SIZE GEAR & FISHING TRIP

DJARMA ARU 60 34-56 GRT GILL NETS (DEMERSAL) 2 WEEKS

TIMIKA 25 50- 200 TRAWLNETS (DEMERSAL) 4 WEEKS
PELACIS 11 50-200 TRAWLNETS (DEMERSAL) 4 WEEKS
ISTANA ' 28 50- 200 GILL NETS

VESSELS IN MERAUKE DISTRICT 1996

All the fish exported from Merauke is frozen on board the fishing vessels and most
of it is exported via 800 GRT reefers chartered specifically for the job.

3.3 ARTISANAL FISHING FLEET

PT Subindo is a local company specialising in shark products (fins and skin). This
company used to operate 38 gill netters out of Merauke town but now only operates
2 vessels. The rest of the vessels appear to be run independently but are still
operating out of Merauke from Subindo's own base at Gudang Arang.

The District of Merauke has a total of 19500 artisanal fishermen registered on its
books. These fishermen operate from 200 coastal village communities geographically
grouped around the three towns of Agats, Kiman and Merauke.

The latest statistical figures for the lower end of the artisanal fleet in Merauke District
show a total of 1402 non-powered canoes and 97 outboard-powered canoes.

3.4 SHORE-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE - DOCKING & MOORING

The docking and mooring facilities at Merauke town basically consist of the following

Maro River Estuary (Figures 3 & 4)

a. Existing commercial jetty, approximately 100 metres long and currently in use by
the industrial fleet for victualling;
b. A new commercial jetty, same length as the existing one and currently under
construction;
c. The National Oil Company's (Pertamina) oil off loading jetty and tank farm;
d. Deep water anchorage, stretching from the commercial jetty to the Pertamina jetty
and currently being used to tranship frozen fish from the industrial vessels onto to
reefers for export;
 5

e. A small jetty in the old part of town.

12 Km upstream from commercial jetty (Figures 3 & 5)

a. The PPI floating jetty, approximately 60 metres long

3.5 SHORE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE -POST HARVEST FACILITIES

ICE - The two existing ice plants in the town of Merauke cannot
produce more than 2 tons of ice per day. Production is limited
to 16 Kg ice blocks which sell for Rp 1500.
WATER Portable water is piped to Merauke from a fresh water lake
situated 60 Km to the North via a 200mm diameter main. The
maximum sustainable drawdown from the lake is strictly
controlled and the overall scarcity of this commodity is
reflected in the price charged by the utility to consumers, Rp
500/m 3 .
TRANSPORT - Transport of landed fresh fish is in most cases by bicycle or
motor bike, with the fish bunched around a metal ring. The
fish is neither boxed nor kept moist and in most cases arrives
at the market in a pitiful state.
COLD STORAGE - Cold storage does not exist for landed fresh fish. Most
industrially caught fish is frozen aboard the vessels.
WET MARKET Merauke has a wet fish marl<et located in town. It is in a rather
poor state of hygiene with no running water available, no
hose-dO'Ml facilities, unsuitable drainage and no ice or cold
storage. Of all the fresh fish on display, only the fresh water
species appeared to he in a good state of preservation.

4.0 CONSTRAINTS ON PPI FACILITY

The existing PPI landing at Merauke suffers from a number of major constraints :

First and foremost, long term government development plans for the industrial
fisheries cannot be drawn up due to a lack of reliable data (species, sizes and unit
effort) for the whole of Merauke District. Furthennore, the following additional findings
practically rule out the use of the facility for use as fisheries landing centre :

a. As suspected, Merauke town is base to a very limited fleet fishing (trawling for
demersal species) in the area enclosed by Yos Sudarso Island and the border with
Australia in the Arafura Sea, Figure 2;
b. The PPI's location, 11,5 Km upstream of the existing commercial jetty, adds a
further 1,5 hours to the sailing time of an industrial vessel intending to use the
facility due to the diurnal tide;
 6

c. In artisanal terms, the sheer distances involved in trying to land the catch at the
PPI translate into very high costs in terms of fuel;
d. Also, industrial fishing companies intending to export fish through the PPI find it
uneconomical to do so; this is due to the fact that the current reefers under charter
(800 GRT) cannot reach the PPIIanding due to restricted river width and depth.

5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Irrespective of its development potential, the PPIIanding at Merauke suffers from a

number of major physical constraints which make it unprofitable to operate as
intended. It is clear from these constraints that the PPIIanding was conceived from
the "top-down", meaning that no site-specific feedback from the local fishing
community ever entered the decision making process. In view of the fact that it is not
suitable for use as a fisheries landing centre, the PPI should continue to function as
a DGF office.

The rather limited Indonesian industrial fleets operating out of Merauke town appear
to be functioning profitably using tried and tested infrastructure of their own (one
company owns its own harbour facility and two others utilise the existing commercial
facilities at Merauke) and as such contribute little to the local economy.

Given the present market conditions for small pelagics, the reported small pelagic
resources of the Arafura Sea do not warrant the large scale investments required for
major harbour projects in Merauke. As a result of the above, it appears that there is
no immediate need for new industrial fishing ports.

6.0 CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR A NETWORK OF INTEGRATED FISH

LANDING CENTRES

The small scale fisheries, on the other hand, appear to offer the best prospects for
sustainable development through the exploitation of the export opportunities now
appearing on the horizon. Of major significance to the environment, this development
should aim to increase the value of the landed catch through better handling and
preservation techniques instead of merely increasing the volume of the catch.

Moreover, a people-centred development, implemented "bottom-up", would involve

the entire coastal fishing communities in the district in the decision making process
and at the same time, through community-based management schemes or
cooperatives, safeguard the existing inshore natural resources and habitats from
irresponsible and short-sighted industrial exploitation.

The small-scale fisheries, however, suffer from a number of constraints which need
to be tackled throughout the District of Merauke if the proposed development is to
 7

succeed. These constraints are:

a. Lack of reliable statistical data regarding types and sizes of catch, state of coastal
habitat and stocks, distribution of vessels and fishing gear and the demographic
composition of the villages;
b. lack of basic post harvest facilities;
c. lack of general awareness regarding the post harvest handling of fresh fish (ice,
cold storage, hygiene etc.);

d. limited marketing opportunities and promotion.

These constraints, though vast in extent, clearly need to be addressed from village
level up through an extensive frame survey coupled to an appropriate educational
programme.

Given the fragmented nature of the small scale fisheries, this development should
preferably be implemented through a network of integrated fish landing centres.
An integrated fish landing centre is a self-contained entity able to receive or collect
fish from peripheral or secondary centres, package or process it in suitable form and
export it to a different region or country. For such an entity to function properly it has
to be located at the epicentre of activity of a number of coastal communities or
secondary centres. This epicentre may be anyone or a combination of the following

a. A commercial seaport or airport site (existing or proposed;

b. Geographical centre based on population density only;
c. Geographical centre based on demographic distribution (socio-anthropological)
of the fishermen and/or businessmen along the coastline;
d. The community nearest to a productive fishing ground.

The site for an epicentre has to be chosen with care even if detailed statistics are
available on types and sizes of catch, state of coastal habitat and stocks, distribution
of vessels and fishing gear and the socio-anthropological composition of the coastal
communities. In practise, it is better to zero-in on the epicentre through a process of
gradual elimination.

Merely planting expensive and immovable infrastructure in a convenient place and

then expecting the fishing communities to gravitate towards it does not always work
and may prove costly, both in financial and environmental outlay.
 GENERAL MODEL FOR !HE DEVELOPKENT
OF SMALL SCALE INSHORE FISHERIES

,,IDENTIFY l!ARKET[l] AND SPECIES !0 BE I

TARGETED BY THE SMALL SCALE FISHERIES
I [
CARRY OU! DETAILED : IDENTIFY !ND/OR DEVELOP MARKET ROUTE
STOCK ASSESSMENT FROM THE AREA UNDER STUDY TO THE
FRAME SURVEY IDENTIFIED MARKET
nEMOG!WJ!+t-D~
~hV!KUNMENTAL AUDIT (GIS)t 21

I
I FORMULATE[ ]j INTEGRATED DEVELOPKEHT PROGRJ.KliE I
---- !
I I
oUGAN!SE INSTITUTIONAL FORMULATE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE FORMULATE FLEET DEVELOPMENT DRA~ UP PLANS FOR AN

r~~
I
I' llAl~E~ORK FOR A
Ul,SED MANAGEMENT
COMMUNITY
SYSTEM
' THE INSHORE FISHERY
CR AS COOPERATIVES
DEVELOPMENT MEEDS rGR OUTLYING
VILLAGES IN RELATIOfl TO
PROPOSED EPICENTRE OR TO~S
SUCH AS ~ATER, ICE STORAGE
NEEDS TO SUIT LOCAL EMVIROK-
MEKTS 151 , COLLECTOR VESSgLS,
ICE BOXES &FISH HOLDS
EX!EMSIONPROGRAMMEIN
POST HARVEST HAHDL IHG
HYGIENE & ENYIRO]{)®I~AL
lilNAGOOHT I. I
-·
AHD BASIC SOCIAL NEEDS SUCH AS
ROAD NETWORKS

IMPLEKEMTATIOH OF PROGRAMME - PURCH!SE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

BARDII!RE, FLEE1 ADAPTATION, EXTENSION PROGRAMME, MAN-
PO~R DEVELOPMEH~ AND IDEHTIYICATION OF SECONDARY CENTRES
COORDIN!TIOM OFfiCE AT EPICENTRE 161
I I
SECONDARY CENTRE SECONDARY CENTRE SECONDARY CEMTRE SECONDARY CEX!RE
COKMUHa¥ A CO!O!UMITY B COKMUK!TY c CO~UNI!Y ...

INS!ALL RICRO INSTALL MICRO IMSULL MICRO 0 0 0 0 t I I 0

INFRASTRUC!URE IHRASTROCTURE IMFRASTRUC!URE ...... '.

DKVELOP UD DEVELOP AMD DEVELOP AHD ........
R£1111 COLLECTION REFINE COLLECTI~N REFINE COLLECTION ' .. '.' ..
SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM ' ...... '
···-

TABLE 2

NOTES : [l] Market may be Provincial capital, insular ;arxets or overseas destination.
[2] GIS or geographical information syste1 is a detailed map overlay of the environ;ent, such as maps
shoving coral reefs, mangroves, sea bed charts (shoving areas of sand, mud etc), water courses,
1an-1ade activities (logging, mining etc), likely sources of pollution etc.
[3] The progra~~e should only be for~ulated once the above data has been collected and analysed.
[4] For a delicate environ1ent to survive the exploitation it 1nst be included in every decision-laking process.
[5] Every effort should be made to 10dernise the local fleet instead of importing larger vessels which need ;assive
infrastructure invest1ents.
[6] The coordination office ;ust be located at the epicentre of activity and not in distant district or provincial
capitals. !echnical back-stoppin9 1ay be located elsewhere.
 9

As shown on Table 2, the project should only be formulated once accurate field data
has been collected, the marketable species identified, the market (local, regional or
overseas) secured and means of reliable transport to the desired market agreed
upon.

A typical development project formulation would consist of four major components :

a. Organisation of an institutional framework for the management of the fishery

epicentre and secondary centres, such as a coop, based on the actual socio-
economic needs and capabilities of the coastal communities;
b. Development of the infra structural needs covering both the epicentre and the
outlying secondary fishing centres;
c. Formulation of the fleet development needs to suit existing (not preconceived)
local conditions;
d. Formulation of an extensive extension programme at village level to satisfy
manpower development needs.

At the implementation stage, all four major inputs should be coordinated from the
proposed epicentre; technical backstopping may be carried out from more distant
centres, like a provincial capital. At each secondary centre or coastal fishing
community, low-tech micro infrastructure, which may or may not include a jetty,
should then be installed in accordance with the project objectives and lines of
communication and/or collection systems refined in line with demand.

This infrastructure model is by no means a recipe for instant success. The basic
requirements for a successful model remain time and patience; time is required to
collect data and build up the capillary network required for orderly development and
patience is needed to develop the manpower needs at village level without which the
model would be unworkable.

6.1 POTENTIAL PROJECT SITES

The district of Merauke encompasses a total of 18 subdistricts, of which five are
coastal; Merauke, Agats, Atsy, Kimaam and Okaba. Despite the fact that the mission
only spent a few days at Merauke and cannot possibly fonnulate a definitive
integrated development project, conditions in Merauke town indicate that there is
scope for such a project as outlined in Table 2.

Also, based on preliminary information obtained from the district offices of the DGF
at Merauke, other potential project sites may be Agats and Kimaam.

6.1.1 Example of a project site - Merauke

There are promising indications that the internal and territorial waters of Merauke
District have substantial resources. This presents considerable development
po::sibilities for high-value fishery products.
 10

Markets for fresh-on-ice Snappers and Barramundi and live crab have been
tentatively identified (actual contact between local exporter and overseas dealers has
already been established) as follows :

a) Darwin for the Snapper and Barramundi;

b) Singapore for the crab.

Other secondary possible markets which could be developed include inter-island

trade for smoked and salted fish. Moreover, the airline flying to Merauke is also
planning direct flights to Darwin. Referring to the flow chart in Table 2, Merauke
satisfies the first condition for an epicentre but is weak on reliable statistical data. The
airline, on the other hand, holds the key to the export route and should be brought in
on the development plan at an early stage to ensure that efforts by the local
entrepreneurs or exporters are matched by the airline in such areas as flight
schedules"preferential cargo capacity and competitive cargo rates. Hence, before an
integrated development programme can be formulated, Merauke subdistrict has to
be surveyed properly for stocks, vessels, gear, demographics and environment (GIS).

Once the above data has been collected and analysed and the export route agreed
upon, the project formulation proper may start. This would entail the identification
(through discussion and local input from the villages concerned) of the secondary
centres amongst the coastal communities around Merauke town (the proposed
epicentre). The basic function of these centres would be twofold :

a. to reach as far downstream in the collection system as possible with new ideas
and training, cooperative effort, credit schemes, ice, potable water, hygiene etc;
b. to streamline the collection effort and move away from the current fragmented
situation.

In other words, these secondary centres would act as focal points for the individual
fishennen, where collective fish deliveries would be maintained on a regular basis
to meet the export demand.

Following on from this, the four major components of the development would then be
formulated in accordance with Table 2 and implemented from Merauke town itself.
Technical backstopping would be arranged from more distant centres.

6.2 Infrastructure requirements

Both the secondary landing centres (coastal village communities) and the epicentre
(in this case Merauke town) must be equipped with suitable infrastructure, geared to
the real and not preconceived needs of the proposed development.

6.2.1 Secondary landing centres

At the time that the project is formulated, the secondary landing centres would be
 11

lying at the downstream end of the fish collection system, as a result of which, the
infrastructural requirements would be very basic. Depending on such things as
volume of catch and species, the infrastructure would probably consist of a small,
fenced-off enclosure with :

a) A simple, covered, concrete-paved work area;

b) An insulated, containerised ice store with a proper, mechanical ice crushing
machine;
c) A local fresh water supply augmented by a rain water collection system with basic
chlorination facilities and possibly, a sea water based hose down system;
d) Fish washing and packing tabl€ and scales in stainless steel;
e) Coop office and supplies store geared to local needs (hooks, twine, fuel in
jerricans, basic spares, chlorination tablets and soap etc);
f) Adequate supply of locally made fish boxes or baskets, to be circulated amongst
the local fishermen for the post harvest handling of fish and ice;
g) Suitable toilet facilities and basic sewerage system.

Further details of the above and ways of maintaining the environment around a
fisheries related centre may be found in references [9] and [1 0]. If boats are
normally beached at the proposed secondary centres, jetties should not be
included in the infrastructure.

At the initial stage it would be assumed that the village or community has no power
supply except for small personal generators and that the insulated ice store would be
suitable for storing ice in block fonn for a number of days.

The site for this facility should be chosen carefully, with particular attention being paid
to the distance from the coastline, flooding during the rainy season, levels and falls
of the ground (must be suitable for sewerage systems), proximity of village wells, etc.

The link between a secondary centre and the epicentre at Merauke would be either
by road or sea. Secondary centres in the immediate vicinity of Merauke which are
served by a road would be linked to the exporter's operation by an insulated, or better
still, a refrigerated truck. Secondary centres beyond the existing road network would
be linked by a collector vessel. Typically, this vessel would consist of an existing 30
GT vessel converted to carry block ice and iced fish in an insulated hold. To avoid
contamination of the fish by fuel, a different vessel must be used to carry fuel to the
villages (such as kerosene, petrol and diesel) in jerricans and basic supplies for the
cooperative such as soap, chlorine in tablet form, basic spares etc. Food and fee
paying passengers would be accommodated on either vessels depending on the
vessel size and various combinations of vessel size, speed and operating range
would have to be experimented with to arrive at a satisfactory solution.

6.2.2 Epicentre
At the epicentre itself, the entrepreneur or exporter, whether dealing in iced fish or
 12

smoked fish, would build up his own infrastructure to handle the stream of products
coming out of the secondary centres. Preferably, such private sector facilities should
be concentrated inside an industrial estate located as near as possible to the market
route, such as the commercial harbour or airport. Basic facilities common to all
entrepreneurs should include chlorinated water electricity, sewage reticulation and
telecommunication links.

The collector vessel together with the supply boat would typically sail with ice, and
return on the same day with good quality fresh fish on ice. Port facilities would consist
of rented use of a commercial jetty to off load and victual the collector vessel.
Dedicated facilities such as the existing PPI would not be required for such an
operation.

A fresh-on-ice fish exporter's packing hall, for example, would typically consist of the
following:

a) A packaging hall constructed to the highest standards of hygiene with a sealed

epoxy floor, drains, filters, etc.
b) stainless steel working benches;
c) chlorinated fresh water supply and storage system with a mobile high pressure
cleaning machine;
d) proper toilet facilities connected to a waste disposal system;
e) cold room for overnight storage of pre-packed products as a backup against flight
cancellation;
f) a supplier of airfreight packing boxes for fish together with a hygienically safe
storage for the boxes on the premises;
g) Refrigerated or insulated truck to carry airfreight boxes with fresh fish from the
packing hall to the airport.

The facility would have to conform to the standard specifications for good
management practise for fish and fishery products published by the DGF.

Ice for the whole operation would come from either existing commercial ice-making
establishments or the exporter himself.

Great attention would have to be paid to any proposed expansion of the ice
production facilities. Whilst Merauke already has a commercial venture making block
ice, a flake ice machine would be cheaper, occupy less space and produce ice "on
tap". However, weight for weight, flake ice takes up more space than block ice and
melts faster. The relative merits of whether to produce block or flake ice would have
to be studied in depth between the exporter (who needs flake ice) and the collector
(who might prefer block ice).

Similarly, a smoked fish exporter would build his infrastructure to suit his trade.
 13

In most cases, the collector would be a separate entrepreneur or boat owner

contracted by the exporter and the fishermen's coop to transport the fish and return
cargo for a fee.

6.31SSUES
Through discussions held with local entrepreneurs in Merauke, two basic issues
appear to hinder development :

a. The fragmented nature of the small scale fisheries in its present state;
b. The cost of commercially available airfreight.

Failure by the competent authorities to resolve the issue of the airfreight that plagues
the expedient transport of fresh fish to regional and overseas market destinations
threatens the viability of the development programme as a whole.

7.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The proposed development programme for Merauke district is directed at the small
scale fisheries sub-sector, dealing in low-volume, high-value species, operating within
the 12 mile limit. The proposed infrastructure requirements would be
appropriate to the actual and not preconceived needs of the small scale
fisheries sub-sector.

Based on the currently available information on the small scale fisheries ie stocks,
vessels, gear, landings, demographics and G.I.S., it would not be possible to
formulate definitive projects tailored to the needs of the sub-sector at ground level
without a detailed survey of Merauke district incorporating :

a) Assessment of the potential of the target species;

b) Frame survey (vessels and fishing gear);
c) Demographic studies (including detailed socio-anthropological studies of the
population);
d) G.I.S.;
e) Marketing channels.

These surveys would provide the accurate information base for the formulation of the
proposed development projects for Merauke district, upto technical and economic
feasibility level.
 14

8.0 REFERENCES

[1] FEASIBILITY STUDY PROVINCE IRIAN JAVA; SUB~PROJECT : PPI

MERAUKE. DGF & Rogge Marine Consulting GmbH associated with PT lnconeb,
.Jakarta, September j 988.

[2] FISHERIES SECTOR PROJECT, TA 1791.,1NO, FINAL REPORT, VOLUMES

I & II, WORKING PAPERS #1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. Agrodev Canada Inc in association
with PT Amythas Experts, Jakarta July 1994.

[3] STUDIES OF FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL IN EASTERN

INDONESIA, VOLUME II. Overseas Agrofisheries, Japan, October 1992.

[4] TRAVEL REPORT ON MARINE FISHERIES IN MALUKU UTARA AND

MERAUKE, TCP/INS/4553A. FAO Jakarta, October 1995.

[5] INTERIM/PROGRESS REPORT ON STRENGTHENING MARINE FISHERIES

DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA TCPJINS/4553A. FAO Jakarta, December 1995.

[6] INDONESIAN ADMIRALTY CHART No 198, SUNGAI MERAUKE.

[7] CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES. FAO, Rome 1995.

[8] FISHERIES STATISTICS OF INDONESIA HANDBOOK. Various years.

[9] CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF ARTISANAL FISHING HARBOURS

AND VILLAGE LANDINGS. FAO Training Series, Sciortino J.A., Rome 1995.

[10] . SMALL SCALE FISH LANDING AND MARKETING FACILITIES. FAO

Fisheries Technical Paper, Medina P., Rome 1988.

[11] MARINE SURVEY. Journal of Marine Fisheries Resources (49), 53-59, RIMF,
Badrudin & Rusmadji, Jakarta 1988.
 130 135. u.o·E

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FIG. 2 DISTRICT OF MERAUKE

MAJOR ARTISANAL FISHING CENTRES
 '•
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FIG. 3 MARO RIVER ESTUARY

MERAUKE TOWN
 e.
PELABUHAN MERAUKE
s:EKAlA 1: tl\.000 (ltm OB'1l' 41" S I
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FIG. 4 COMMERCIAL MOORINGS

AND ANCHORAGE AT MERAUKE