"I cannot go out to sea to fish due to the extremely bad weather so that I have sold our guest chairs to buy rice," said a local fisherman named Ujang here Tuesday.
Selling furniture and other personal items, such as guest chairs, cupboards, TV sets, necklace, and refrigerators, was often done by local fishermen during the bad weather season, he said.
They did that to feed their families and paying their children`s school fees, Ujang said.
During the time they could not catch fish due to the extremely bad weather, fishermen like himself had no other source of income. Therefore, to meet their daily needs, they sold their personal belongings, he said.
"By selling my furniture, my family and I can survive for a week," said the resident of Bayah subdistrict in Lebak district.
Ujang was not alone. His fate was also shared by another fisherman named Ipang who admitted that he was unable to find another job during the time he could not go out to sea to catch fish due to bad weather.
"I don`t know what to do and I don`t have money anymore. To feed my family and to pay the cost of my children`s education, I must sell my TV set," Ipang said.
Head of Lebak district`s marine and fisheries office Agus Taman said lots of local fishermen could not go fishing due to extremely bad weather over the past two weeks.
"I suggest that fishermen not go fishing. Instead, they should try to find another way to meet their basic needs," he said.
Aripatul Hadiyanti, a weather analyst of Serang-based meteorology, climatology, and geophysics agency, had warned fishermen local fishermen of being alert to the impacts of extreme weather expected to hit the province`s area within days.
The coastal areas of southern Banten were expected to be hit by big waves with the height of the sea waves could reach 2.5 and 3.5 meters while the speed of wind blows could be 36 kilometers or 18 knots an hour.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
