seaweed farming rediscovered by balinese in the absence of foreign tourists

The pristine beautiful beaches of Lembongan Islands were dotted by the sun bathing tourists across the globe before the pandemic hit and took the Island in its grip.

Now with the economy in trouble and visitors gone you will see a sight of locals carrying baskets laden with seaweed up the shore as a a way of making a living.

"I feel sad because we lost our jobs and now we have to start from scratch," said I Gede Darma Putra, 43, a native of Lembongan, who used to guide tourists as a dive master.

Like the other locals on this 50 km speck of an Island, him along with his wife Kadek Kristiani now go through pristine waters to collect the growing seaweed on lines.

Bali normally attracts millions of visitors a year, many attracted by beaches in spots like Lembongan, but plans to reopen to foreign tourists have been postponed indefinitely due climbing COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

With most attractions including bars and restaurants closed drying seaweed is now filling the streets as the tourism industry workers return back to an industry that died down a decade ago. Even though Indonesia holds the status of world's second biggest seaweed producer after China. "Farmers are starting to plant seaweed again," said Boedi Sarkana Julianto of Indonesia's Natural Resources Network