Persepsi komuniti lokal terhadap kemusnahan hutan bakau: Kajian kes nelayan pesisir pantai di Mukim Serkat, Johor (Local community perception of mangrove deforestation: A case study of shoreline fishermen in Serkat, Johor)

Abstract

Ekosistem hutan bakau di Mukim Serkat telah terganggu dan termusnah akibat pembangunan yang berlaku di sekitar mukim tersebut. Salah satu impak daripada keadaan ini adalah kesejahteraan hidup komuniti nelayan pesisir pantai di mukim tersebut. Artikel ini melaporkan persepsi nelayan mengenai kemusnahan hutan bakau di sepanjang pantai Mukim Serkat. Hasil kajian mendapati lebih daripada separuh nelayan di Mukim Serkat masih menggunakan alat tangkapan tradisional dan hanya menangkap hasil laut di kawasan pesisir pantai sahaja. Kebanyakan nelayan di mukim ini menyedari fungsi hutan bakau sebagai kawasan pembiakan dan perlindungan hidupan laut. Hampir 83 peratus nelayan di Mukim Serkat menyedari kemusnahan hutan bakau di sekitar kawasan mereka. Kemusnahan hutan bakau yang menyebabkan hakisan pantai dan muara sungai yang cetek memberi impak yang serius kepada pendapatan nelayan. Sehubungan itu langkah memelihara dan memulihara semula habitat hutan bakau di mukim ini perlu disegerakan bagi memastikan kelestarian hutan bakau dan kehidupan nelayan yang bergantung hidup kepada sumber perikanan daripada kawasan hutan bakau.

Katakunci: degradasi alam sekitar, hakisan pantai, hutan bakau, kesejahteraan hidup, nelayan pesisir pantai, RAMSAR

Mangrove ecosystem in Serkat County had been disturbed and destroyed as a result of development in the surrounding area. One of the impacts of this situation is the well-being of shoreline fishermen community in this county. This article examines local fishermen’s perception of the deforestation of mangroves along the county shoreline. The findings revealed that more than half of the fishermen community in Serkat County were still using traditional catching tools and only catching along the shoreline areas. Most of these fishermen were aware of the vital functions of mangroves as both breeding and protection areas for marine life. Almost 83 percent of the local fishermen were aware of the degradation of mangroves occuring in their surrounding area. All in all, mangrove deforestation has led to coastal erosion and shallow estuaries in Serkat and has impacted adversely on the local fishermen’s income. As such, urgent conservation and rehabilitation measures of the local mangrove habitats should be taken to ensure the sustainability of both the mangroves and the fishermen’s economic well-being that depends on them.

Keywords: coastal erosion, environmental degradation, mangroves, RAMSAR, shoreline fishermen, well-being