The idea that the sea is one’s mother is an innate part of the life of coastal communities, who interact every day with the waves and salty ocean water.
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The idea that the sea is one’s mother is an innate part of the life of coastal communities, who interact every day with the waves and salty ocean water.
Every day, coastal people get food to sustain their lives from the sea, just like a mother who provides a livelihood for her children.
Ironically, such respect has disappeared in many places, although there are still several areas who hold onto it firmly. The sea is bombed, the sea is poisoned and the sea is littered with garbage. Such acts are examples of misbehavior, and disrespectful of one’s mother.
Kompas is trying to restore the respect for the sea as a mother figure through the Coral Reef Photo Exhibition, which the Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno opened on Wednesday evening at the Bentara Budaya in Jakarta.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Kompas Gramedia CEO Lilik Oetama, Indonesian Ambassador to Norway Todung Mulya Lubis, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia business and finance strategy director Haru Koesmahargyo.
The strength of a mother figure was shown through the Balabala dance, performed by five female dancers from West Halmahera, North Maluku. “Bala bala” means “strong woman” in the native Sahu language of West Halmahera.
Choreographer Eko Supriyanto was inspired to create the dance from the role mothers fulfill in the family. "From when fishermen bring in the fish to port and then to the fish market, and up to when they are finally served to family members, mothers are always present," said Eko. Unfortunately, the conditions of our seas today no longer reflect the respect for this mother figure. "The condition of our sea now does not reflect our devotion to a mother," said Siti in her speech at the opening ceremony.
Through the Coral Reef Photo Exhibition, which will be open to the public until Feb. 25, the visual display and a discussion series are expected to teach the people to again respect the sea as a beautiful mother figure and the source of life for all.
The exhibition curator, Arbain Rambey, who is also a senior Kompas photojournalist, selected 70 photographs that were placed in 60 frames. The exhibition photographs were selected from 1,500 photographs that were captured during the recent Kompas coverage on Coral Reef Expeditions.
In addition to underwater photos, the photographs on exhibit depict the life of coastal people. For example, on photograph shows a fisherman interacting directly with a whale shark in Cenderawasih Bay, Papua.
Other photographs capture the people of Komodo National Park in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, who still face the daily challenge of obtaining clean water, in stark contrast to the underwater panorama that has turned these waters into world-renowned tourist destinations.
The exhibition also features photos taken by a drone. From high in the sky, the sero fish trap looks like an arrow extending 200 meters out to sea. The traditional fish trap uses the ebb and flow of the tides to corral fish.
The Selayar people maintain and rely daily on traditional fishing equipment. It is a tradition that still survives amid the temptation to overfish, which harms the environment.
Appreciation
Minister Siti Nurbaya appreciated the Coral Reef Expedition coverage run by Kompas in cooperation with Bank BRI. "It is a very valuable, voluntary step in protecting the wealth of natural resources," she said.
The sea plays an important role in human life, absorbing carbon emissions, providing transportation routes, controlling the climate, providing mineral resources and offering tourist destinations. However, said Siti, the sea no longer received careful attention from people today.
Therefore, she agreed with the theme "Our Sea, Our Mother" for the Coral Reef Exploration Photo Exhibition. This theme, she said, was fitting because the sea was like a mother who was the source of life. "On behalf of the government, I express my gratitude and high appreciation," said Siti.
Kompas editor-in-chief Budiman Tanuredjo said that the Coral Reef Expedition was part of the daily’s efforts to provide quality journalism. Indonesia was not only beautiful on the surface, but also to the depths of the seas. He used the analogy of a well-known phrase that says that one must go to the depths of the ocean before they can find a pearl.
It appears this phrase has been proven: The beautiful pearl that was discovered during the Coral Reef Expedition is the sea as a mother figure that gives life to all mankind.