BANGKA SELATAN -- PT Timah’s deployment of artificial reefs in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province is not only aimed at preserving the marine ecosystem but also provides tangible benefits for local fishermen.
In collaboration with fishermen, environmental communities, local government, and the Indonesian Underwater Sports Association (POSSI) of Bangka Belitung, PT Timah is not only deploying but also conducting monitoring of the artificial reefs.
This initiative, aimed at creating new habitats for marine life, has already shown positive results, with many artificial reefs now naturally colonized by corals.
Last week, PT Timah, along with POSSI Bangka Belitung and local fishermen from Tanjung Kubu, South Bangka Regency, conducted a monitoring session on the artificial reefs in the waters of Tanjung Kubu.
Monitoring results revealed that the reefs have been colonized by coral and are now teeming with various fish species, such as red snapper, grouper, seminyak, lempis, and squid.
Rispandi, a fisherman from Tanjung Kubu involved in the monitoring, noted that the artificial reefs have successfully attracted various species of reef fish and squid.
“There are so many benefits we’ve felt as fishermen here in Tanjung Kubu. We no longer have to go far out to sea because the fish now gather around the fish shelters. They're close to shore, and it didn’t take long before fish were biting our bait,” he said.
He added that the fish shelters not only reduce their travel distance but also increase their catch—especially valuable species.
“Before this, we had to leave at dawn and return at dusk to catch maybe 10 kilograms. Now, we can catch up to 50 kilograms in a day. The fish are of higher economic value too—semenyak, red snapper, and it’s squid season now, so there are many squid around the fish shelters at night,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Fahmi Fauzi, Chairman of the Bangka Belitung Chapter of POSSI, who participated in the monitoring in Tanjung Kubu, said that during their dive, they observed a large variety of fish around the artificial reefs, especially reef fish and other high-quality species.
"During our dive, we encountered a wide range of fish: red snapper, seminyak, tamban, tande, talang, gerut, red krisi, yellowtail, kerong-kerong, duri, anjang-anjang, grouper, jebung, and even squid (local fish names)," he said on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Fahmi hopes that in the future, PT Timah will continue to involve POSSI in the deployment and monitoring activities as a way to support marine-based tourism through artificial reef reclamation.
“We hope that PT Timah will continue to involve POSSI in future diving activities, to support and strengthen POSSI in the region. It’s important that the world knows about this emerging marine tourism opportunity in Bangka Belitung, made possible through PT Timah’s artificial reefs. With routine deployment and monitoring, we from POSSI Babel fully support and appreciate PT Timah’s contributions to the marine environment in the province,” he said.
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