The modern lifestyle is slowly killing the environment and affecting Papuans. Environmental destruction threatens their survival, where one of the most responsible causes is overfishing. To overcome this challenge, Papuans embrace the traditional way of life and return to the use of Bhukere.
While it was once an integral part of Papuan culture, globalization is forcing indigenous Papuans to change their living ways. That includes how they forage food, but little do they know that adaptations to modern lifestyles endanger local food sources.
Below, we will see how going back to their roots has helped Papuans protect nature.
What is Bhukere?
There is a village called Ayapo in Sentani, Jayapura. The locals rely on fish as their primary food source; therefore, it makes sense that they treasure their waters very much, including lakes, rivers, and oceans. They believe these are the veins that carry life in the land’s blood of Papua.
As a result, activities that lead to the degeneration of the ecosystem are frowned upon, such as catching too many fish for profit. Although the practice has clearly affected the balance of life in their rivers and lakes, certain individuals seem to have forgotten the meritorious values passed down by their ancestors, including Bhukere.
The ancient Papuans practiced this tradition as part of their ingrained belief in the importance of protecting water ecosystems.
Failure to carry out the mission will bring havoc to the entire village caused by the “heungali-khamali”, a mythical creature of water. Heungali-khamali appears when humans pollute or disrupt their habitat.
The word also refers to a fishing tool. It belongs to the Sentani tribe, those who live in Sentani, including in Ayapo. To make one, the locals will use logs called suang and olulu that grow in their gardens and string them into a large pond. Next, they would erect it in a nearby river or lake.
The Impact of Papuan Cultural Traditions on the Environment
Overfishing, apart from threatening the locals’ main food source, also damages the ecosystem. The practice has massively reduced the population of the snakehead, which is endemic to Sentani. And, as you can probably predict, there is no way wild fish can reproduce as fast as the thousands of people who eat them.
But dwindling fish populations are only the tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, overfishing has upset the delicate balance of the aquatic food web. While it is primarily an overexploited snakehead, it has a ripple effect on the many other species that also live in the fresh waters of Sentani.
In the long term, overexploitation of fish stocks can lead to unemployment for local anglers.
To counter these crises, the government revived the tradition of using traditional fishing tools. The Papuan government, particularly in Jayapura, is encouraging all parties to erect Bhukere as an initiative for sustainable action.
Prior to this, locals were not well educated in fish storage. As a result, not only were they overfishing but also throwing away the fish. Excessive appetite followed by zero awareness to conserve nature reduces the number of snakeheads in Sentani, including Ayapo.
For this purpose, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs of Jayapura carried out an experiment of regenerating a population of snakeheads from Lake Sentani. The study showed satisfactory results, where the artificial nest kept the fish to lay eggs in it.
Previously, the Jayapura government had conducted a similar experiment in 2016 by building 50 artificial nests throughout Lake Sentani. By 2022, there will be about hundreds of them, and the goal is being achieved.
The residents of Sentani acknowledged an increase in the snakehead population. Furthermore, it creates more employment opportunities, consequently strengthening the economy.
Opportunities in a Simple Lifestyle
What these efforts show is that something as simple as taking a step back from modern lifestyles can provide answers to unemployment, food insecurity, and ecosystem damage. And in this case, Bhukere is a vital steward of the aquatic environment of Sentani, Jayapura.
