Jodang and the Traditional Way of Lobster Hunting
They call it “jodang”, a fishing net with a round-shaped structure to catch lobsters. It works only when lobsters are trapped into the net. The people of Ujung Genteng use jodang as a lobsters trap when the time is right; It is the “lobster season”. whilst in other times, they use only bare hands and an exceptional diving skill.
Ujung Genteng is a village in Ciracap District, Sukabumi, South-Western part of Java island. With great beach views and surfing facilities, they are able to manage it as a tourist attraction and destination.
When the pandemic hit, income from tourism was significantly lower than usual. They have to survive with a source from the sea. Luckily, they were born in the line of great fishermen culture.
In April 2021, I saw jodang lay down on their fishing base, where they parked their traditional boat about 20–30 Meters away. The boat is not very traditional though. They are using a good powerful engine to make it able to go beyond big waves. But there lies two problems; first, they do not own the boat. They have to rent it from the owner. Secondly, the fuel is rather expensive for them. A full tank will cost them About 17–18 USD for a single trip.
One morning, I joined a group of fishermen. They prepared all the tools and equipment a night before. All of their equipment, including jodang, is a highly sustainable and ‘earth friendly’ though. But we left jodang behind because in a bad wind like that, jodang is pretty much useless. It was 6:30 in the morning. We went to the boat and sailed to the high seas. Within 30 minutes, they catched a mackerel with a special fishing net. This net is very simple. It contains no explosives such as dynamite, and no fish poison at all. With that modest tool, they kept on catching fish for a few hours.
Around 12:30 that afternoon, we decided to go to the lobster area. The thought was crystal clear; Lobsters used to hide underneath. Starting the engine soon after a 15 minutes lunch break, we arrived at the coral spot.
Unfortunately, humans can only decide what nature has permitted. The water was dark because of the wind. Yes, the West wind moves. Although they prepared to dive deep that day, we refused to go. There was no way we could catch lobster that day. It’s just quite impossible to do so.
But it was not a bad day though. We managed to catch a big tenggiri (large size Mackerel). As soon as we landed on the beach, we sold the fishes. We did bring some of the small ones home for dinner. But worry not for the lobster. When the time is right, we will come to see Mister Lobsky again.
I spent that afternoon watching the sun go down. Children come from around the village to enjoy themselves. It was a happy day. We rarely find that kind of feeling in a big city like Jakarta. For that, I am greatly thankful for the universe.
