More than 15 tons of rubbish removed from Kalimati is contaminated and cannot be recycled

Mohammad Razak Cahyono, a local fisherman, said that the condition of the waters filled with rubbish made fishing activities difficult.

"Even though it's fishing season, catches are hard to come by because fish are reluctant to approach waters full of rubbish. We really support the steps being taken now," said Razak.

This statement is Razak's experience and assessment. The Banyuwangi Regency Government's statement does not include data on changes in catches or studies regarding the influence of waste on the presence of fish at that location.

Estuary Cleaning and Recurrent Litter Prevention

Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani, who visited the location on Wednesday (28/10/2026), asked that treatment be continued to the estuary. According to him, rubbish in the area needs to be removed so that it is not carried back by tidal currents into the river.

The Banyuwangi Regency Government together with the East Java Provincial Government have prepared an excavator to help with this work.

"We have to do it all the way to the estuary. We will prepare heavy equipment so that the rubbish removal can be done more optimally," said Ipuk.