11.4.1 Sasi
River Sasi
For sasi on lompa in the river, a specific set of rules defines the opening and closing of the
river, access rights and division of the catch.
Lompa fish, a sardine-like pelagic fish species, enters Haruku waters yearly. The immature
fish (ca. 1 cm) are seen off the coast in April or May. Within weeks of their first appearance,
the young fish start running into the river, where they spend the daylight hours. Usually the
ceremony to close sasi is at the moment when the fish are entering the river at spring tide.
When sasi is closed, at every corner of the village, the head of the kewang blows a traditional
trumpet shell and pronounces this closing (nowadays with a megaphone). The head of the
kewang has to go to the mountains to pick a sacred tree for the sticks that are used at the adat
ceremony. According to tradition, the sticks should be secretly taken into the kewang house.
After the ritual ceremonies are complete, the signs, made of sticks and coconut leaves, are set
in place to define the sasi area. From this point on, the river and mouth of the sea are no
longer accessible for fishers so that the fish can grow. Over some months, the fish will swim
from the river down to the sea and back in daily cycles. When after about 6-7 months they
reach maturity (ca. 10 cm), people believe they spawn in the river. Then the kewang head
picks a date for opening the fishing season.
The night before the opening, the kewang carries out another ritual and people place barriers
into the river so that the fish cannot escape. The opening of sasi is always planned when there
is a low tide in the morning, so that people can easily enter the water to catch the fish. At the
sign from the head of the kewang, everybody (i.e., men, women, locals and strangers) starts
fishing. The village head of Sameth explained: “The opening of sasi lompa is a fiesta; it is a
social event and people share. If somebody would have an empty container, the people of
Haruku would fill it up.” Everybody thus can fish. Later, the fish are gathered and divided. A
great deal of fish are directly consumed in a traditional feast, what are left are dried by the
villagers to be eaten in the following months.
Sasi lompa is an extremely important aspect of village life. It not only provides the villagers
with fish and confirms social relations, but foremost, the ceremony and opening of sasi (buka
sasi) are a spectacular event which attracts visitors from all places, and this means a great
deal to the villagers (see as an illustration, the newspaper article by Hann 1996).
Marine Sasi
Sasi on pelagic fish is closed when the small fish are spotted in the sea, usually around July-
August when there has been a high tide. The kewang and fishers monitor the fish and when
they are big enough and have settled in the sea grass beds, a date will be set by the LMD to
open sasi. When sasi is opened, the head of the kewang performs the rituals according to
tradition while the villagers witness the event.
The fishery is coordinated with Sameth, the neighboring village. After the ceremony, the net
owners will draw lots and groups of 10 to 20 fishers with beach seines enter the water. They
take turns and fish until the efforts exceed the benefits. At the time of our research (July
1997), sasi on both the sea and river was closed.
Desa Haruku and Sameth, Haruku Island 129