More bear brunt of smog’s effects

From fishermen to orangutans, effects of forest blaze spreads far and wide

JAKARTA: Smog caused by forest and land fires has spread to wider areas, disrupting people’s activities and even affecting the health of orangutans as the government scrambles with its dousing efforts.

Fisherfolk in Pandan district, Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, have not been able to go fishing in the past week as smog from fires in Riau has blanketed the area, affecting visibility in the region.

Fisherman Ucok Pasaribu said the smog had disrupted fisherfolk’s activities as they feared losing their way amid the limited visibility.

“We use traditional equipment, so there are no (modern) navigation devices on our boats.

Fisherfolk could lose their way and even reach the Indian Ocean without navigation tools given the current state of the smog,” Ucok said on Wednesday, adding that many had lost their way due to the limited visibility.

As a result, the fisherfolk can only catch fish on the seashore, which means their hauls are much smaller as they cannot risk going out to sea.

Smog has not only affected humans, as 37 orangutans in the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, located near Central Kalimantan’s capital of Palangkaraya, have reportedly suffered from acute respiratory infection amid smog that continues to blanket the region.

The rehabilitation center currently houses 355 orangutans cared for by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF). “Thank God they’re still in the early stage of infection.

“The medical team has provided them with multivitamins and antibiotics; they’ve also been given medicine through nebulizers, especially those who seem to have a more severe infection,” BOSF chief executive officer Jamartin Sihite said on Tuesday.