In 2021, coastal fishers in Muncar District reported experiencing severe itching all over their bodies, likely due to the waste being dumped into the sea by fish canning and fishmeal processing companies engaging in illegal disposal practices, according to Berita Cakrawala. These fishers, mostly from lower-income communities, had endured the harsh effects of industrial waste for decades. “When we swim, we’re not swimming in seawater anymore—it’s covered in fish oil and grease,” said Fauzan Adzima, a fisher from Dusun Sampangan, Kedungrejo Village. “After swimming, we have to scrub our entire bodies because they get covered in a blanket of fat from fish oil. And we have to wash repeatedly to clean it off.” The fishers traced the source of the liquid waste and discovered a river channel that seemed to be dumping waste into the sea. Fauzan and other small-scale fishers reported the pollution to the Kedungrejo Village Government and the Banyuwangi Environmental Agency.1 The news reporting about this issue cited residents in the district of Muncar complaining about fishmeal processing, but did not explicitly substantiate that the problems were caused by this plant in particular. Residents of Muncar urged the government to be more transparent about the issue of waste disposal by fish canning and fishmeal processing factories in the area, according to Berita Lima. From 2008 to 2018, environmental activists from Setia Hati in Muncar persistently criticized waste and industrial pollution issues, but the results of lab tests and other investigations conducted by the government were not publicly disclosed, said Riski Andika, an environmental activist from Setia Hati.2
In 2022, a group of local university students conducted an Environmental Impact Analysis on CV Indo Jaya Pratama.3 They found that for years, the plant had been dumping untreated wastewater into a river flowing between two nearby villages that were home to more than one hundred fifty thousand people.4 The grasses on the riverside wilted, and fish became increasingly rare. The students urged the local government to take action.5
A 2023 study conducted by an academic from Gadjah Mada University found a significant level of river pollution in Muncar District, Indonesia. The research aimed to examine the impact of industrial waste in the district from 1970 to 2017, with a particular focus on the negative effects of the fishing industry, which had been dumping waste into the river. The analysis revealed that industrial waste in Muncar contributed to both water and air pollution, with conditions worsening significantly since the 2000s.6 Not only was the river polluted, but also the sea, as revealed by a video posted by Bwi24Jam in 2023.7
CV Indo Jaya Pratama did not respond to a request for comment.8