Oil exploration in Bangkalan should not make fishermen in difficulty

Offshore oil and gas exploration activities by PT Santos in Kreseh subdistrict in Sampang district, and in Modung subdistrict, in Bangkalan, Madura, East Java, should not bother the activities of local fishermen. Otherwise, it would create social and security problems that will eventually undermine the exploration activities.

Bangkalan Regent H Moh. Fatah and a number of local councilors asked Santos executives to hold a meeting with the fishermen to discuss their exploration activities.

Abdul Jalil, a councilor from Bangkalan, said Santos' planed exploration sites are located around 10 kilometers off the Bangkalan coast, where many fishermen from Kreseh and Modung subdistricts put their fish catching instrument.

"We hope PT Santos to directly meet the fishermen, especially those in the two subdistricts because the fishermen there do not know yet about the planned exploration activities," Jalil said.

Meanwhile Regent H Moh. Fatah asked Santos to minimize environmental impacts of its exploration activities and not to create problems with the fishermen. "This oil and gas exploration activities must not kill the living sources of many fishermen."

Emilia Hutabarat of PT Santos said that his company had conducted environmental impact analysis of its exploration activities off Madura coast. He also promised to give "fair compensation" to fishermen in the location of its exploration. (*)