Rilus A. Kinseng - Class and Conflict in the Fishers Community in Indonesia

To be bored in defending the interests of traditional fishermen means letting the capitalists win the rowdy battles without a hitch, not to mention that the battles are taking place in a widely open arena. In the current legal condition of the Unitary State of Indonesia (NKRI), which is more in favor of the upper classes (see the case of flip-flops theft case in Mesuji, Bima, in late 2011 and early 2012), taking the attitude of being fed up of defending the interests of the lower class simply means giving way to the upper class to raise the flag of triumph. Thus, simply waiting for the destruction of traditional fishermen would not take a very long time given the current state of affairs.

The unequal struggles had been going on for more than 33 years (since 1978). Hence, the history of traditional fishermen is a history of defeat, a history of life with little or no protection, a history that consciously let all of the oceans resources be taken away from their reach, and a history which the main players are the upper social classes.

The burning of trawlers incident in North Sumatra taking place on 18 and 26 December showed us all that the lower class had been totally defeated. Therefore, they would do anything to assert their existence and their entitlement to live in the NKRI, although in the end they realized that in the struggle the lower class would not only have to face a huge power that was not only set free by the State, while six of them were still in prison (Kompas, 7 January 2012), but also the domestic power. When there was no one left taking their side, a social conflict was the only logical resolution for them. It was within such context that class conflicts within the marine social structure would be explained. Their hope was that a structural change could enable them to transform their pessimism into optimism of life.

Our (the societys and States) failure to stop the trawlers from operating around the Indonesian waters has not only rapidly destroyed the lives of small fishermen but also the breeding grounds for the fish to spawn. What is tragic about this class struggle is that in the long run, it would not simply become the triumph of the upper class in monopolizing the richness of the fish resources in the seas but also means the extinction of the marine biodiversity as the ultimate victory. An empty sea, and every party lost.