Sama Biasa is a 27ft (8.23m) perahu lambo fishing vessel, estimated to have been built in 1955, in Pepela on Rote Island in southeastern Indonesia.
From the early to mid 1700s, Indonesian fishers have fished off the northern coast of Australia, largely without restriction. This started to change from 1952, as the Australian Government introduced new laws and extended its territorial sea, giving them greater authority over these fishing areas. At times, Indonesian vessels strayed into Australian waters and fishery zones became a contested matter. In the 1970s, the Indonesian and Australian Governments came to an agreement that allowed traditional Indonesian fishers access to designated areas and permission to catch and collect certain species of marine life.
Even with the agreement in place Indonesian vessels would still intermittently operate in other areas. Sama Biasa, which translates to ‘same as usual’, was the first of many Indonesian fishing vessels to be arrested and confiscated by Australian authorities for fishing outside of the agreed area. In 1980, Sama Biasa was intercepted at Gregory Island, off northern Western Australia, and towed to Koolan Island for processing. On board, the fisheries inspector found seven crew, along with fishing equipment, 40 kilograms of rice, 360 litres of water, 10 kilograms of dried fish, and approximately 250 kilograms of trochus shell. The crew were convicted and their vessel seized.
This seizure had a great impact on the owner and seven crew of Sama Biasa, and more broadly the Rotenese fishing fleet. The trochus shell would have been sold for 500 rupee per kilogram to a company that called in at Rote once a month. The loss of this catch, in addition to the vessel, caused great economic hardship for the crew on their return to Pepela. The prosecution set a precedent and had a ripple effect for other vessels during this highly contentious period of fishing operation and Australian border enforcement off the northwest of Western Australia.
Sama Biasa on display at the Western Australia Maritime Museum in Fremantle, images © Western Australian Museum
Perahu Lambo
Perahu lambo are generally understood to be the Indonesian sailing craft most influenced by Western maritime technologies. They feature a western-style fore and aft rig, and a rudder hung off the stern post. By necessity, they have a straight or near-straight keel to facilitate the rudder, further differentiating them from more tradition Indonesian designs, which have a curved or rockered keel. Sama Biasa is an example of a doubled-ended perahu lambo.
Curators
David O'Sullivan | Assistant Curator, Western Australian Museum