PANGKALPINANG - Sustainable environmental management is one of the commitments of PT Timah Tbk in preserving a sustainable environmental ecosystem. Environmental management undertaken by PT Timah Tbk is not limited to land but also extends to the sea.
Efforts in environmental management by members of the Mining Industry Holding MIND ID are also carried out in the sea. PT Timah Tbk implements programs such as the sinking of fish aggregating devices (rumpon) and coral gardens in the waters of Bangka Island, Bangka Belitung Province.
The sinking of fish aggregating devices and coral gardens is an effort by PT Timah Tbk to facilitate fishermen in finding fish by making it closer and easier to locate the fishing spots.
Moreover, the presence of coral gardens is expected to support underwater tourism as it can attract tourists interested in snorkeling and diving.
PT Timah Tbk's rumpon program is implemented in the waters of Rebo, Bangka Regency, and the waters of Deniang Village. As for the coral garden, it is implemented in the waters off Penyusuk Beach.
PT Timah Tbk involves groups of fishermen in carrying out the rumpon sinking activities. Besides boosting the community's economy as rumpon producers, it is hoped that these fish aggregating devices can serve as homes for fish, making it easier for fishermen to catch them.
Indra Ambalika Sari, Chairman of the Sayang Babel Kite Foundation, who is also a partner of PT Timah Tbk in implementing the Coral Garden program, stated that the coral gardens sunk by PT Timah Tbk have started to show promising results.
"This coral garden initially created a structure, then transplanted coral seedlings from the results of PT Timah Tbk's marine reclamation, not harvested from natural coral. Our monitoring results are also positive," said the Marine Science lecturer at the University of Bangka Belitung some time ago.
Indra explained that the growing corals are beautiful and diverse, and many fish are already playing in the coral garden area.
"In general, coralfish are starting to gather in the coral garden area," he said.
According to him, this coral garden is PT Timah Tbk's effort to support underwater tourism in the Penyusuk Beach area. Eventually, this coral garden could become an underwater photo spot for tourists interested in snorkeling or diving.
"Even though they have grown, maintenance is still carried out, for example, resewing if there are dead corals, so the coral garden remains beautiful," he added.
PT Timah Tbk collaborated with the Chairman of the Ridho Ilahi Bersatu Fishermen's Group, Kenanga Village, Sungailiat District, Bangka Regency, to create and sink hundreds of fish aggregating devices.
"This is the second time we have done rumpon sinking with PT Timah, the first time was in 2021. As for the marine reclamation activities, we have been collaborating with PT Timah for quite some time, around 6 years," said Karyadi, Chairman of the Ridho Ilahi Bersatu Fishermen's Group, some time ago.
According to Karyadi, they have already felt the benefits of the presence of rumpon because they no longer need to go far out to sea since the fish gather nearby, reducing the distance traveled.
They also share the locations of the rumpon sinking with nearby fishermen so that other fishermen, such as those from Kenanga Village, Rebo, Parit Padang, and Jurung Village, can also experience the benefits.
He hopes that the rumpon sinking activities can become an annual routine in collaboration with PT Timah Tbk, leading to an increasing number of fish aggregating devices in the waters of Rebo.
"Hopefully, this can be done every year because, for fishermen with small engine capacity, it is beneficial. Because the range of 3-4 miles is still relatively close and easy to access," said Karyadi. (*)
