Local Wisdom in Marine Conservation

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

An aerial view of the coastal waters off Bungaiya village in Selayar Islands regency, South Sulawesi, shows a sero fishing fence extending in a line out to sea on Wednesday (25/10). The sero funnels fish and traps them, making it easier for fishermen to harvest fish directly, and is commonly used by the people of Selayar.

The sun had just risen on a Wednesday in late October in Bungaiya Village of Bontomatene subdistrict, Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi, when Patta, 65, climbed atop what looked to be a pile of katonde or bitti wood. At first glance, the structure looked like a cone or a pine tree.

The giant structure is a static fish fence called sero, also known as kelong in Kalimantan and belat in Jambi. The sero extends about 100 meters into the sea. The fish fence, which consists of thousands of wooden pillars that stand at a height of 3 meters from the seabed, is on the "land" that Patt rents for Rp 1 million a year from landowner Patajali, 55.