DESA Ujung Gagak, a coastal village in the Central Java district of Cilacap, is in the doldrums. Dozens of fishing families are facing an uncertain future as their incomes continue to fall because of the diminishing fish population in Segara Anakan, a lagoon on which most of the villagers earn their living.

Fishermen blame the mounting sedimentation that has turned Segara Anakan into a mud puddle, especially after the Environment Department orde