Nana Rukmana, Cirebon, West Java – Fishermen and conservationists have expressed outrage at the widespread damage to ecosystems on the northern coast of Cirebon, blaming the damage on illicit mangrove deforestation and uncontrolled industrial development.

Coordinator of an NGO called Environmental Protection Volunteer (Rapel), Aan Anwarudin, said only 5 kilometers of mangrove forests remained intact on Cirebon's 53 kilometer-long coastline. "The rest has been damaged by illegal logging," he said.

The forests have also been damaged by the development of coastal shrimp and fish farms, according to Labor and Environmental Foundation's Cirebon director Yoyon Suharyono.

Mangrove forests reduce coastal erosion by reducing the force of waves and the reach of tides. "Mangrove forest damage has allowed the sea to pound away at the beaches, causing erosion. Coastal erosion will worsen further if reforestation efforts are not undertaken," Yoyon said.

The destruction of mangrove forests has also hit fishermen who catch fish that live in the shallow water environment of mangroves. "Environmental damage has caused fish and crabs in the coastal areas to become scarce. The damage to the mangrove swamps has caused damage to their habitat," Yoyon said.

Abdurrahman, 40, a fisherman in the Waruduwur fishing settlement in Mundu district, Cirebon, said most traditional fishermen in Cirebon used 1-meter-wide, 3-meter-long boats that could only operate in shallow waters close to land. "It is hard to find fish and other marine resources now due to the damage to the mangrove forests," he said.

Also to blame for the environmental damage, he said, were large-scale industrial developments that did not embrace environmental conservation. He specifically singled out the Kanci coal-fired steam power plant (PLTU) as a cause of environmental damage.

"The construction of the Kanci PLTU plant has sped up the damage to the coastal ecosystem which subsequently affects the lives of fishermen and other coastal communities," Aan said.

The drop in sea catches has also dealt a blow to home industries, such as makers of terasi, or shrimp paste, in a number of villages in Mundu and Astanajapura districts. "Many people living along the coast have lost their means of living. Their numbers could reach around 400 families," Aan said.

Aan named coastal communities that had been directly affected by the PLTU project. "The negative impacts could expand to other coastal areas densely populated with fishing communities, such as in Gebang and Losari districts. The condition is obviously a cause for grave concern," he said.

The Kanci PLTU plant, located on the coast in Kanci Kulon village, Astanajapura district, Cirebon, was built in 2007, on a 100-hectare plot of land.