wafted in the air as my [1945008derweicheDuftvonNelkenunterderSonneröstenojek] crossed over the green hills of Minahasa Tenggara. The road prospects a trapezoid crashes hill in a mangrove-laced bay, with the colors blue and green glitter. From a distance I could see specks of light and dark colors in the water made by lively reefs suggesting the presence of it, including.
These were my first sights of Ratatotok. The first stories I heard of this coastal settlement that is connected to the tragedy Buyat, a highly publicized case 04-07 a multinational gold mining investment in polluting Buyat Bay on top of a baby's death claims.
That is friends from North Sulawesi were scenes of Ratatotok beaches and dive raving. "Better than Bunaken," some have told me.
Today, years after the mine closed, his legacy is still omnipresent in Ratatotok-Buyat how feelings among locals lingering.
58 -year-old experienced fisherman Rusdin not normally take tourists but took us to some mangroves growing on elevated reefs. He turned off the engine, as we swam through clear shallow waters full of underwater life.
I snorkelled in a realm of purple table corals, round pink brain coral, yellow staghorn corals and schools of small colorful fish. It looked very natural and unspoiled me more than the ones I snorkelled in the Togians. But I felt that what I saw was not the whole story.
"Looks like your coral reefs recover well after the mine stopped operating," I remarked. "Are these the artificial reefs of the company planted for mining rehabilitation?"
Before the multinationals started operations Rusdin could expect Rp.300,000 worth of fish to catch on a bad night. Today, he considers it a good night when he can make Rp.0,000. He says that local fishermen and craftsmen miners are on track despite their opposing interests. "They are simply locals trying to make a living, just like us," Rusdin said. But different standards apply when it comes to the company, even if it adheres to strict environmental regulations.
After Syafrudin Wangko, chairman of the coordinating body for mining Impacted Communities (BKMKT), a part of resentment towards the company from the fact shows that government regulations large companies tend to favor more than modest locals, and that these companies are more likely to contribute to the government tend as the communities themselves.
says Wangko that the damage in Buyat Bay has caused extensive and endangering public health. Therefore Tourism Promotions concentrated in Ratatotok where the aesthetic effects of pollution are hardly visible.
"We do not know what happened to the artificial coral reefs. They would be likely now buried under thick mud, and the continuing pollution would be generated by current artisanal miners make it hard, natural corals to recover", says Wangko. In Ratatotok the company could easily introduce images of vibrant coral reefs and take credit for mining environmental remediation before players who know next-to-nothing about the marine ecosystems.
That is, Wangko gives credit to the company for the socio-economic development in Ratatotok during its operations and beyond. The US companies $ 30 million Community development funds have appreciated schools provided, churches, infrastructure, a well-equipped hospital, and assistance to the local fishermen and small businesses.
Wangko not buy into the idea that tourism is a reliable and sustainable alternative livelihoods. Tourism is seasonal by nature and requires capital, skills and experience that Ratatotok locals do not yet have.
Muhammad "Pudin" Saifuddin, founder of Ratatotok-based Ecotourism Volunteer Group disagrees. Since 2012 it has been to increase mission awareness of environmental and conservation issues in Ratatotok-Buyat and identify economic opportunities for local people from the tourism industry. The group has been found for the disagreement among pro-mining and anti-mining residents of Ratatotok of concern, and as an attempt to engage the base community in sustainable solutions.
"I can not tell if the environment is damaged. I'm not a scientist. But we ecotourism opportunities identify the limits to empower locals despite" Pudin said. That says it due to the presence of artisanal miners recognizes the Minamata Institute findings of high levels of mercury in the river mouth Totok from the time before the big mine back originate. He adds that actually performed better during the mining days, tourism in Ratatotok-Buyat because it finances small businesses in Lakban beach and cleanup of nearby islands.
"As far as fishing is concerned, if the fish population is exhausted, the sea is dirty. But Fischer often forget that they sometimes contribute to the problem. They catch fish in coral reefs and damaging them with their anchor. And in bombed the past neighboring villages for fish, "explains Pudin, adding that Ratatotok was bomb and potassium-free for a dozen years now.
The Group's activities include the organization of transactions in Lakban beach, environmental awareness to make posters on the islands of the device, coral friendly swimming anchor for fishermen and to arrange tours for visitors.
to win international support and educate the local fishermen and tourism micro-enterprises, the group travel bloggers and tourists loads the marine and terrestrial beauty Ratatotok-Buyat and its satellite islands to document.
has identifiedRatatotok-Buyat 24 dive sites. A commercial dive operators from Lembeh organizes diving trips there, but stayed due to the difficult logistics and the lack of resorts. A typical itinerary includes snorkeling a Bentor (pedicab) tour for tuna smokehouse, in the mangrove trekking, visit to a hill and unwinding of the day in a cafe in Lakban. Pudin provides a room for visitors in his modest family home and would lead free, but requires each visitor a mangrove tree plant in return.
Pudin can be contacted on 081244582923 and is on Facebook as "Cak Pudin."
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