Silent Megaproject in ‘Skipjack Tuna City’

Kompas/Ichwan Susanto

This mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus), is photographed at the Parigi Beach diving spot, Lembeh Strait, Bitung, North Sulawesi, on September 13, 2017.

The development of North Sulawesi’s Bitung Special Economic Zone (SEZ) threatens the marine biodiversity of Lembeh Strait. The area is renowned for its wealth of unique marine life, which makes it a haven for underwater photographers. Its charm is second to none in Indonesia.

It takes four times to get a response from Meyer Musa about how the development of the Bitung SEZ might impact his profession. Meyer has been a dive guide for the last seven years, guiding divers to a number of choice spots in North Sulawesian waters.

Apparently, Meyer did not know about the Bitung SEZ, which was mandated in Government Regulation No. 32/2014. He has only just realized that "selling" marine tourist attractions in the Lembeh Strait, which is relatively close to the planned Bitung SEZ, could potentially disturb the undersea biotas. "The [marine] subjects of macrophotography could disappear. Lembeh is famous among macrophotographers," said Meyer, who graduated in 2010 with an advanced associate degree (D3) in undersea ecotourism from Manado’s State Polytechnic Institute.

The marine subjects of Lembeh that are the primary attraction for macrophotography divers include pygmy seahorses, sea slugs, and ornate ghost pipe fish, all small creatures of only 1-7 centimeters that require special lenses to capture a clear image. Many divers also hunt specifically to take pictures of the colorful mandarin fish, known locally as ikan barongsai (lion dance fish).

Concerns

The plan to reclaim part of the coastline of Kota Bitung, which is also called the "City of the Skipjack Tuna", in developing the Bitung SEZ was worrying. "If the area is reclaimed, the undersea beauty will disappear,” Meyer said about the marine ecosystem of the 16-kilometer strait.

Residents of several local communities also did not know about the planned development. One such person is Nober Suef, 33, who lives in Tanjung Merah subdistrict of Kota Bitung, who worried that the project would force him to relocate. The Bitung SEZ will subsume nearly all of Tanjung Merah.

"The people will oppose [the plan] until they are driven from their homes," said Herry Mamonto, 51, chairman of the Tanjung Merah Community Empowerment Institute.

Even though it has been said that information on the planned development was not disseminated among the local community, the megaproject has already cleared 92.6 hectares of land. Despite ongoing conflicts, the Bitung SEZ project will occupy a 534-hectare plot of land in three subdistricts of Matuari: Tanjung Merah, Manembonembo, and Sagerat.

"However, we have not yet received certainty on when the Bitung SEZ development will start," said Tanah Merah subdistrict head Boby Marthin Rumawung.

Boby said that the local people supported the development of the Bitung SEZ. Ten fishery companies are located in Tanjung Merah subdistrict.

Most of the subdistrict’s 1,359 residents make a living as industrial laborers. There are 110 factory workers, 75 farmers, 41 fishermen, and the rest comprise civil servants, entrepreneurs and workers of other sectors.

Kompas/Ichwan Susanto

The colors of the pygmy seahorse resemble those of the animal’s natural habitat in the ocean. This photo was taken at the Nudi False diving spot, Lembeh Strait, Bitung, North Sulawesi, on September 13, 2017.

Uninformed

The lack of information on the detailed plans for the development project, which expects to be completed in 2018, has apparently also affected several local officials.

Manembonembo subdistrict head Reflin Karamoy said he had not been informed on what will be built in his subdistrict. He also had not been informed on the plan to reclaim the coast as part of the Bitung SEZ project.

Reflin had only been informed about a plan to widen the road, with compensation for residents that would be affected by the project, and a plan to use local rivers as a water supply. However, he said, agreements had not been reached on the value of the land to be acquired for the project.

In addition to Manembonembo, the subdistricts of Tanjung Merah and Sagerat will also be affected by the planned development.

The Bitung SEZ development project has also caused worries among the residents of Lembeh Island, which is located across Tanjung Merah. "I had not heard anything about the reclamation plan, nothing," said Nasir, 47, who lives in Paudean, South Lembeh district.

Safar, 63, also a Paudean resident, said no public information had been disseminated on the project, which may potentially impact the area’s marine resources.

The Kota Bitung Regional Development Planning Agency’s research and development head Melda Sidangoli said social, economic and environmental impacts had been taken into consideration in connection with the project.

The Bitung SEZ project administration office has been erected in Sagerat subdistrict, its lobby outfitted with a sofa, a table and chairs. However, the office is otherwise empty, and is manned only by local civil security officers.

"In line with the Bitung SEZ development project, we will reclaim land from Girian to Tanah Merah. We now have licenses for 35 hectares, which will be expanded to 400 hectares," said Kota Bitung Mayor Maximilian Jonas Lomban.

Maximilian, who is also deputy chairman of the Bitung SEZ council, said the megaproject will support the fishery, plantations, agriculture and logistics industries. Meanwhile, the people hoped the megaproject would not turn them into mere spectators on their own land.