Mamuju fishermen's houses unfit for habitation

The Jakarta Post, Mamuju, West Sulawesi | Archipelago | Mon, February 18 2013, 4:37 PM

Fishermen on Simboro Island in Mamuju regency, West Sulawesi, are in urgent need of central government assistance as around 80 percent of their houses are in an unlivable condition.

An official with the Mamuju Sanitation and Parks Agency (DKP), Mustajab, said on Monday that about 80 percent of houses belonging to hundreds of fishermen on the island had been categorized as uninhabitable, according to Mamuju administration data.

Mustajab said the houses were primarily made of wood and covered with thatched palm, as most of the fishermen lived below the poverty line.

“On average, fishermen in Mamuju coastal areas are impoverished and cannot afford decent homes,” he said as quoted by the Antara news agency.

He requested that the central government allocate additional budget funding to build new houses for residents along Mamuju's coast. (nfk)