Kera Island Residents Face Relocation Threat, Struggle to Maintain Livelihoods

On Kera Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, residents are striving to preserve their traditional way of life amidst the persistent threat of relocation. The island is home to the Bajo ethnic group, primarily from Buton and Wakatobi, whose livelihoods are deeply intertwined with marine resources. Novry, the chairman of the Kera Island Fishermen's Union (SNPK), speaks of his family's five-generation history on the island. "Kera Island is a gift from God. It is enough that we can live alongside the sea," he states. The residents not only catch fish like tuna, skipjack, and mackerel but also harvest octopus, various types of coral, and cultivate seaweed. These marine resources sustain their daily needs and even fund their children's education. Nana, a female fisherwoman, begins her day at dawn. She cleans her husband's fishing boat, repairs seaweed farming ropes, and occasionally joins them at sea. During the day, she harvests seaweed along the coast until evening. "We can live thanks to the sea. The catch from fish and seaweed is enough to meet our family's daily needs," she says. Their daily mobility primarily involves using boats to travel to Oeba Market in Kupang City to sell their catch, and then returning to the island with clean water, groceries, and household necessities. However, the possibility of being relocated from their island, the very foundation of their existence, remains a constant threat looming over them. Information Source: Mongabay Indonesia