Burned Peat Swamp, What is the Fate of Fish and the Communities of the Wetland in South Sumatra?

Wetland landscapes are home to half of the fish species known throughout the world. When these areas burn almost every year, various types of fish are threatened to lose their spawning and rearing grounds. A study found that large fires are related to a decrease in fish occurrence. Temporal analysis showed a 67.9 percent decrease in the estimated probability of fish occurrence. In South Sumatra, about 60 percent of its residents live near wetlands. The current situation forces them to face the threat of fires, haze, as well as the loss of food and economic sources. Some time ago, the Coalition of Communities Against Smoke (KOMMA) of South Sumatra took action and submitted 7 demands related to recurring forest and land fires, as well as the unresolved issues of corporate responsibility and environmental governance improvement. About 18,000 species of fish, or half of all fish species we know, live in freshwater or wetlands. But what if these important areas burn every year? “Fish will lose their spawning and rearing grounds,” said Irkhamiawan Ma’ruf, a freshwater fish researcher from Muhammadiyah University Palembang, Friday (10/16/26). The wetland ecosystem, which includes peat swamps, has pores that serve for fish to lay eggs, as well as a shelter for fish young after hatching. If burned, the functions and life cycle of the fish will be disturbed. The impact can cause the collapse of the ecosystem chain in the wetlands. “This can also lead to the threat to food sources, protein, and the economy of the community in the wetlands,” he said. In South Sumatra, about 60 percent (5.3 million people) of the total population (8.4 million people) live near wetlands. In the past, living in this area was a blessing for the community. During the rainy season, the swamps start to fill up, and large fish such as catfish, toman, snakehead, seko, and bujuk migrate to spawn their eggs. Such opportunities are usually taken advantage of by the community to dredge around overflowing river streams. “The large-sized fish, which can be dozens of individuals, are enough for food, and the rest are sold,” said Sadikin, a resident of Tempirai Selatan Village, Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency (PALI), in late July 2026. During the dry season, most people look for fish among the roots of submerged trees or in areas where leaves remain wet in the drying peat swamp. This tradition is called “bekeluk”. “Usually, they can get catfish, snakehead, or betok,” said Sadikin. However, since the forest and land fires (karhutla) in South Sumatra began in 1997, the situation has changed. Communities living in wetlands not only face declining fish catches and food crises but also forest and land fires burning their plantations, as well as the threat of respiratory diseases due to haze. “We are truly suffering like this.” Impact of fires on fish The latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2024 recorded fishery production from public waters (rivers and swamps) of about 73 thousand tons, a decrease of about 1,500 tons from the previous year. “This is very likely caused by fires in peatlands. Other factors such as climate crisis or water pollution due to large-scale plantation activities,” said Irkhamiawan. Currently, the community around the wetlands, especially Tempirai, who usually look for fish during the dry season, are increasingly busy fighting fires that threaten their rubber plantations. “After the fire, it is usually difficult to get fish. We don't know where the (fish) have run to, while those sheltered in the peat might die from burning,” said Sadikin. Irkhamiawan added that there are several types of fish that shelter under the peat during the dry season, such as betok, catfish family, and snakehead. “The worst possibility is if the fire reaches several meters deep, then the fish will die.” The impact of fires on fish is also reflected in the research by Harrison and colleagues (2024), published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), entitled Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem. The research conducted in the wetland forest ecosystem of Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, analyzed changes in ecosystem conditions and biodiversity based on long-term observation data. The researchers found that large fires are related to a decrease in fish occurrence in the studied area. Temporal analysis showed a 67.9 percent decrease in the estimated probability of fish occurrence. A decrease was also observed in forest-specialist fish groups (73.5 percent) and commercially valuable fish (29.2 percent). “A nonlinear association consistent with fire frequency shows a tolerance level to fire up to an inflection point, where habitation starts to decrease as the frequency of fires increases,” the research wrote. Taking Action Against Fire Perpetrators Based on HaKI (Hutan Kita Institute) data, the total area of wetlands in the Musi River is three million hectares. About 1,123,119 hectares have undergone land conversion. Seventeen industrial plant forest (HTI) companies control about 559,220 hectares. Seventy palm oil companies control about 231,741 hectares. Meanwhile, other uses account for about 332,158 hectares, utilized for transmigrant settlements, peasant plantations, factories, and road infrastructure. Entering the period of forest and land fires (karhutla), January 1-October 4, 2026, Haki recorded 4,386 hotspots in the peatland and mangrove areas of South Sumatra. The highest is in OKI Regency with 2,005 hotspots. Followed by Banyuasin Regency (885 hotspots), Muba Regency (619 hotspots), Muara Enim Regency (535 hotspots), PALI Regency (197 hotspots), Musirawas Utara Regency (139 hotspots), and Musirawas Regency (6 hotspots). In addition, spatial analysis by Walhi South Sumatra using SIPONGI data from the Ministry of Forestry for the period September 1 – October 2, 2026, found 22,690 hotspots in company concessions. This consists of 10,411 hotspots in 18 PBPH/HTI concessions and 12,279 hotspots in 63 plantation concessions. This threat becomes more serious when linked to the peat swamp ecosystem. Walhi South Sumatra's analysis of South Sumatra's KHG found 16,685 hotspots, with 70.99 percent in the peat dome category. “This shows that the protection and restoration of the hydrological functions of peat must be a main part of the strategy to prevent forest and land fires,” said Galang Suganda, Head of the Advocacy and Campaign Division of the Indonesian Environmental Habitat Watch (Walhi) South Sumatra, Thursday (10/15/26). On that day, Walhi South Sumatra, as part of the action of the Coalition of Communities Against Smoke (Komma) South Sumatra, held a mass action at the DPRD and Governor's office of South Sumatra. This action is a form of protest against recurring forest and land fires, their impact on public health, and the unresolved issues of corporate responsibility and environmental governance improvement. In the action, seven demands were made: - Urging the government to decisively act against corporations proven to have violated provisions related to forest and land fires, including the revocation of corporate permits in repeatedly burned areas and the obligation for environmental restoration. - Urging the government to ensure the rapid and comprehensive handling of forest and land fires, including ensuring that companies carry out suppression in their burned concession areas and fulfill the obligations for prevention and control of forest and land fires. - Demanding that the government guarantee the health protection and fulfillment of the rights of the affected community from haze, including access to health services and air quality information. - Urging the formation and operation of smoke-free health posts in affected villages and sub-districts, with easily accessible services and special protection for vulnerable groups. - Demanding transparency in the budget for handling forest and land fires, including the budget for health protection and environmental restoration, so that the public can monitor it. - Urging the provincial and regency/city governments to strengthen supervision and prevention of forest and land fires, including field verification of hotspots, audits of companies with high or recurring hotspot concentrations, and protection of the peat ecosystem. - Urging the South Sumatra DPRD to exercise its oversight function, demand accountability from the Governor and regional authorities, and openly monitor the follow-up of community demands. For information, quoted from kompas.com, the Health Office (Dinkes) of South Sumatra recorded 19,594 new cases of acute respiratory infections (ISPA) due to forest and land fires until October 13, 2026. Throughout September, the number of ISPA cases reached 52,483 cases or increased by 11.62 percent compared to the previous month, which amounted to 47,020 cases. Reference: Harrison, M. E., Deere, N. J., Imron, M. A., Nasir, D., Adul, Asti, H. A., Aragay Soler, J., Boyd, N. C., Cheyne, S. M., Collins, S. A., D’Arcy, L. J., Erb, W. M., Green, H., Healy, W., Hendri, Holly, B., Houlihan, P. R., Husson, S. J., Iwan, … Struebig, M. J. (2024). Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(17). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2307216121