Aceh's traditional maritime authority calls on fishermen to safeguard peace on Independence Day
Panglima Laot, Aceh's customary maritime institution with roots dating to the era of Sultan Iskandar Muda, urged fishermen to stay ashore on Indonesia's 81st Independence Day to reflect on peace as a divine blessing that must be protected.
Traditional maritime authority calls on fishermen to safeguard peace
Aceh's Panglima Laot, the province's traditional maritime authority formally regulated in the Aceh Qanun as living law, has called peace a divine blessing requiring protection and preservation, according to its secretary-general on Monday.
Speaking in Aceh Besar, Azwir Nazar urged communities to use Peace Day and Indonesia's 81st Independence Day as occasions for reflection, prayer and worship. The call carries particular weight in Aceh, where the 2005 Helsinki Peace Agreement ended nearly three decades of armed conflict between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement.
To mark the Independence Day holiday on Monday, Aug. 17, Panglima Laot prohibited fishermen across Aceh from going to sea, continuing a longstanding custom agreed upon by traditional maritime communities across the province's coastal jurisdictions, known as lhok.
Historical maritime governance
The Panglima Laot institution traces its origins to the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda and holds authority to regulate traditional fisheries in the coastal zone extending four miles from shore. The body resolves disputes between fishermen at local and international levels, including conflicts involving foreign countries.
Beyond Independence Day, Panglima Laot designates additional no-fishing days throughout the year: three days each for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, commemorations of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed around 170,000 people in Aceh and devastated coastal fishing communities, three days during traditional sea thanksgiving ceremonies, and Fridays.
Azwir encouraged fishermen and communities to spend their time ashore in prayer and remembrance. He emphasized the importance of mutual protection among fishing communities, stating that safeguarding peace represents a duty to preserve God's blessing.
Economic pressures on fishing communities
The secretary-general noted that fishermen in several areas continue dealing with the aftermath of hydrometeorological disasters, including damaged homes, waterways, aquaculture facilities and fishing infrastructure. Many of these fishermen demonstrate deep ties to their coastal livelihoods, with numerous families having returned to their original shoreline homes after the 2004 tsunami despite receiving housing elsewhere.
The marine and fisheries sector contributed 6.67 percent to Aceh's Gross Regional Domestic Product in 2019 and provides employment to approximately 10 percent of the province's workforce, underscoring the economic significance of the communities Panglima Laot represents.
On this Independence Day, Azwir called on both the central and Aceh provincial governments to continue supporting fishermen facing increasingly difficult livelihoods amid mounting economic pressures. The peace settlement that ended Aceh's conflict allowed the province to retain 70 percent of revenues from natural resources and granted amnesty to former combatants, establishing conditions that fishermen are now urged to help preserve.
President Prabowo Subianto led the national Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace, with celebrations including prayers for communities affected by recent natural disasters across Sumatra and other regions.