Fishermen's catches in Paminggir District, Hulu Sungai Utara Regency, have steadily declined in recent years. Amidst this situation, residents have begun seeking ways to maintain hope through efforts to restore the swamp.
On the boat (cis jukung) floating on the expanse of the Paminggir swamp, Lamsah slowly pulled rengge—the gill net she had been unfurling since dawn. The 50-year-old's hands were still nimble, but her catch that morning was not commensurate with her efforts. Only a few small fish were caught in the gaps in the net.
Lamsah then sighed softly. One by one, she transferred the fish into a container beside the boat. A far cry from a few years ago, when her morning's catch wasn't even enough to keep her calm about household chores.
“"I've been here since dawn and I haven't caught many fish," said the woman who has made her living as a fisherman for decades.
That day, he only brought home about four kilograms of fish. If sold, it would be worth no more than Rp 40,000. Back then, when fish prices were still low, he could earn up to Rp 150,000 a day. Now, even earning Rp 50,000 is a struggle.
Her husband, a fisherman, no longer earns enough to meet the family's needs. Therefore, Lamsah ventures into the swamps to help support their three children.
“"Now, if we rely solely on our father's income, it might not be enough to cover our living expenses. The catch has been steadily declining for the past five years. This year, it's especially difficult," he said.
Lamsah is one of thousands of fishermen living in Paminggir District, North Hulu Sungai Regency. This area, a peat swamp covering approximately 156 square kilometers, has long been home to various species of freshwater fish, including puyau, papuyu, haruan, seluang, sepat, sanggi, sanggang, lais, pipih, biawan, baung, and jelawat. Because the soil is unsuitable for agriculture, most residents rely on fishing for their livelihood.
“"The majority of Paminggir residents are fishermen. In Bararawa alone, 70 percent of the residents are fishermen. Both men and women are involved. Because farming is unsuitable here, the land is unsuitable," said Lamsah.
Lamsah said the abundance of fish, which has long been a mainstay of the community's livelihood, is slowly fading. Fishermen cite increasingly unpredictable weather changes as one of the main causes.
Frequent rain during the dry season causes the swamps to remain stagnant for longer. The persistent high water levels cause fish to spread throughout the swamp, making the pools, which are usually used for fishing, no longer produce as much.
“"The water in the fields is now deeper, and the catch has decreased. For example, after a few hot days, fish are easy to find. But a day of rain is enough to make them hard to find again," said Lamsah.
In addition, residents are familiar with the phenomenon banyu bangai, namely drastic changes in water temperature that often trigger large-scale fish deaths. The increasingly shorter dry season also disrupts the fish growth cycle.
The situation is exacerbated by the rampant practice of illegal fishing, especially the use of electric shock devices which not only catch adult fish, but also kill fish fry and damage the reproductive chain in the long term.
Nurturing Hope
Relying on the daily catch for family income is clearly no longer a safe option. In response to this problem, Lamsah has been cultivating snakehead fish in floating cages for the past few years.
Toman fish were chosen because they are known to be more resilient to water changes. They are also relatively easy to care for, as most of their food comes from small fish caught by fishermen themselves.
This year, Lamsah raised around 1,400 snakehead seedlings. The snakehead fish cages served as a kind of "savings." The snakeheads weren't harvested daily, but were raised until they reached consumption size, then sold for Rp 30,000 to Rp 35,000 per kilogram.
Amidst this pressure, the residents of Sapala and Bararawa villages apparently chose not to remain silent. Armed with their Village Forest status, they formed a Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) with support from Walhi South Kalimantan, AP2SI, and the Tifa Foundation.
In Sapala Village, KUPS Rawa Sejahtera is developing a farm of 56 swamp buffaloes as well as cultivating snakehead fish using a system silvofishery.
“"Each cage is filled with a thousand fish seeds, and we've had two harvests. This is our effort to strengthen the local economy," said Aminah (28), the group's assistant.
Meanwhile, in Bararawa Village, KUPS Rawa Maju manages two snakehead fish cages and has begun building a fish storage warehouse with support from Dana Nusantara.
“"When it's fish season, prices often drop. Rather than selling them cheaply, it's better to store them until the price improves," explained Basrun (41), a KUPS Rawa Maju assistant.
On the other hand, the Hulu Sungai Utara Regency Government offers a solution through the program restocking fish seeds and revitalizing the fishery sanctuary in Tampakang Village as a core area for fish breeding. However, the results are expected to be seen only in the long term.
“"The impact won't be immediate. It might only be visible in ten years," said Maysarah, Head of the Aquaculture Management Division of the HSU Fisheries Service.
He also highlighted the issue of feed in fish farming so as not to further burden wild fish populations.
“"What we need to think about now is how to keep cultivation going, but not add pressure on swamp fish resources."”
Meanwhile, regarding social protection and access to capital, Eva Agustina, Head of the Capture Fisheries Management Division of the HSU Fisheries Service, stated that only 952 of approximately 1,700 registered fishermen have received subsidized BPJS Employment membership. As for capital, the service does not provide cash assistance but instead facilitates access to People's Business Credit (KUR) through the KUSUKA Card.
Handling on the ground is also considered to have not addressed the root of the problem. Member of Commission II of the HSU DPRD, Budi Lesmana, warned that eradication illegal fishing will never be completed if we only rely on a legal approach.
“"If we want to eradicate it, we must also find other sources of income for the community. Otherwise, they will return to the same methods," Budi stressed.
He encouraged the development of fish farming in beje—traditional swamp pond—combined with BUMDes-based fishing tourism.
“"People come to pay to fish, and the proceeds go into village income and open up economic opportunities for residents," he added.
For civil society, the problems in Paminggir are far more fundamental than simply declining fish populations. Miftahul Pauji, Head of the South Kalimantan BPP AP2SI (Indonesian Fish and Wildlife Association), believes releasing fish fry will not solve the problem as long as the peat swamp habitat continues to degrade.
“"If the root of the problem isn't addressed, the fish that are released will continue to face continued habitat pressure. Therefore, recovery can't just focus on fisheries, but also on restoring the swamp ecosystem as a whole," said Pauji.
According to Pauji, restoration of the Paminggir area must be carried out by maintaining peatland water management while preventing land conversion. Conservation must also provide direct economic benefits to the community so they have a vested interest in preserving the swamp.
“"If communities benefit from sustainable swamps, they will have a direct interest in preserving them. That's where the ecological function of swamps and community livelihoods can go hand in hand. The government needs to view swamps as long-term assets, not simply reserve land for development," he concluded.***
*This article is the result of a media trip Mini Festival of Social Forestry Work Plan (RKPS) Implementation and Strengthening of Social Forestry Business Partnerships held by AP2SI and Walhi South Kalimantan.
News Source: https://www.banjartimes.com/2026/08/07/di-tengah-ketidakpastian-hasil-tangkapan-nelayan-paminggir-merawat-harapan/
