Regulating Compensation for the Protection of Traditional Fishermen Affected by Pollution in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is known as a maritime state which is associated with marine and fisheries activities. The existence of a harbor, such as the Port of Belawan in Medan City, often causes conflicts in the issue of marine fisheries, especially related to sea pollution. This article investigates the implementation of compensation when traditional fishermen are affected by environmental pollution, especially tankers, its opportunities and challenges in the Indonesian legal context. This study employed a normative and empirical approach, covering the study sites of North Sumatra and Riau Islands Province, which share the border with the Malacca Strait. To date, there are no rules regarding compensation for fishermen, however, there are some embryonic mode such as the existence of experienced human resources from the Environmental Agency of Riau Islands Province in the implementation of compensation for traditional fishermen affected by pollution of the marine environment. This study encourages the local government (i.e., the provincial government) to give more attention related to the compensation for traditional fishermen who are affected by pollution of the marine environment in the form of Regional Regulations or other policies.