Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandar Lampung – Ten-year-old Sururi helped his father unload empty containers and dozens of kilograms of fresh fish caught during two nights at sea. The empty containers had held formaldehyde.

A recent public scare over the use of formaldehyde in food has not deterred fishermen from using the dangerous chemical to keep their catches looking fresh longer.

The fishermen of Gudang Lelang village in Bandarlampung, as well as others, pour the formaldehyde into the fish barrels while at sea, where people cannot glimpse them.

Ahmad, not his real name, said on Wednesday he was "forced" by financial circumstances to use formaldehyde, which was far less expensive than ice blocks or refrigeration.

A liter of formaldehyde costs about Rp 10,000 (US$1), which is enough to preserve 10 tons of fish. It would take at least 300 ice blocks – each priced at Rp 15,000 – to preserve the same amount of fish. He added that formaldehyde not only kept the fish looking fresh, it also discouraged flies.

Without formaldehyde, Ahmad said, it would be difficult to earn enough money to support his family, particularly since higher fuel prices had increased operational costs, while fish prices remained largely unchanged.

"A kilogram of red carp sells for between Rp 15,000 and Rp 20,000, the same price over the past year. Meanwhile, the cost of going out to sea has doubled due to the fuel price increases," he said.

Although diesel fuel is officially priced at between Rp 4,200 and Rp 4,000 a liter at filling stations, fishermen must pay Rp 5,000 per liter. For a single trip, Ahmad spends Rp 84,000 on fuel. With his small traditional boat, it takes him two nights on the open sea to bring back a decent catch.

"I cannot use ice blocks to preserve the fish because I stay out for two nights. If I used ice blocks, my fish would be spoiled by the time I got into port," he explained. On a typical trip, he can bring in 70 kilograms of fish. "I cannot keep up with fishermen in the big trawlers," Ahmad said.

Large-scale fishermen like Andi, not his real name, also cite costs as their reason for using formaldehyde. He employs a crew of 10 and spends millions of rupiah for a single 14-day outing. Before fuel prices went up, it cost him up to Rp 10 million to make a two-week trip in the open sea, but now he claims the cost is Rp 25 million. "The biggest cost is diesel fuel. The boat needs about 140 liters of diesel fuel for a trip," said the Makassar native.

For a two-week stay at sea, he would need at least 700 ice blocks to keep his fish fresh, at a cost of over Rp 10 million. "The profit is not much, I even lose money," said Andi, explaining his reason for using formaldehyde.