Rumpon, the “Home” for Fish that Helps Fishermen Practice Sustainable Fishing

Fisheries are one of Indonesia’s key sectors that contribute significantly to the economy. The sector also plays an important role in improving the welfare of communities, especially in coastal areas. Therefore, efforts are needed to ensure the sustainability of the ocean so that the fisheries sector can continue to develop and be beneficial.

One of the efforts to protect the marine environment is to promote the use of environmentally friendly fishing gear. The Provincial Government of South Sulawesi (Sulsel), for example, has a program to build rumpon or fish houses. What are the impacts of the rumpon building program? To find out more, let’s read this article!

Rumpon: Environmentally Friendly Fishing Gear

Rumpon or fish houses are structures that are placed on the seabed or other waters. Rumpon serves as a shelter, gathering place, and breeding ground for fish and marine life.

The advantages of rumpon as an environmentally friendly fishing gear are:

• It does not damage marine habitats and ecosystems. Rumpon can actually help preserve and enrich marine biodiversity.
• It does not produce waste or pollution because rumpon does not use chemicals or toxins that can harm fish and the environment.
• It does not have the potential to overfish, thus protecting small fish and other protected marine life.

By using rumpon, fishermen can catch fish more easily and efficiently. Fish will gather around the rumpon, so fishermen do not need to search for far or uncertain fishing locations. Fishermen only need to approach the rumpon and catch the fish that enter it. This can save operational costs and increase catch.

Rumpon Construction for Fishermen

Given the positive impacts of rumpon construction, the Sulsel Provincial Government plans to build rumpon on a massive scale. Rumpon construction is one of the priority programs of the Provincial Government that is considered strategic to support the fisheries sector in the Sulsel region.

According to the Head of the Sulsel Fisheries and Marine Affairs Office, M. Ilyas, the Sulsel Provincial Government has allocated a budget of Rp 109 billion for the construction of 68,280 units of rumpon for fishermen in 19 regencies/cities. This budget is taken from the 2024 Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) that is specifically for the fisheries sector.

Diversification of Fisheries Programs

In addition to rumpon construction, the Sulsel Provincial Government has also allocated a budget for other programs, namely an insurance program for 10,000 fishermen, the restoration of facilities and infrastructure in six fishing ports, and supervision in the field of fisheries and marine affairs.

These programs are expected to support the development of the fisheries sector in Sulsel in a comprehensive manner, both from the production, distribution, and consumption sides. Thus, it is hoped that it can provide broad benefits for the people of Sulsel, including reducing poverty, ensuring food availability, and preventing stunting.

Through the rumpon construction program and various other initiatives, it is hoped that Sulsel can become an example for other regions in efforts to preserve the marine environment, while also improving the welfare of coastal communities.

Aruna, a fishing company that is committed to the sustainability of marine and fisheries resources, also supports the program to use environmentally friendly fishing gear. In its implementation, Aruna fishermen also use environmentally friendly fishing gear, for example, traps used to catch crabs. This shows Aruna’s commitment to maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem.

Let’s all support programs that can preserve the marine environment. With the support of all parties, we can create a sustainable ocean with all its biodiversity.