Flores M7.7 quake leaves Ndete fishing mooring heavily damaged

Labuan Bajo — A motorboat mooring used by local fishermen in Ndete, Reroroja village, Magepanda district, Sikka regency, was heavily damaged by the M7.7 Flores earthquake on 15 August 2026, leaving fishing boats unable to berth and unload their catch in the usual way, according to a report published on 9 September 2026 by POS-KUPANG.COM.

The mooring, a small concrete landing facility for motorized fishing boats, developed serious cracks and sections collapsed after the quake, making the structure unsafe and largely unusable for vessels that normally rely on it, Sikka Transportation Agency head Jemi Sadipun said during an on-site inspection, as quoted in the local report.

Despite the damage, fishermen based in Ndete have continued going to sea.

According to the same account, they are now transferring fish from their larger boats to smaller craft offshore, which then carry the catch to land as a temporary workaround while the mooring remains out of service.

Impact of the Flores earthquake

The Flores earthquake struck offshore north of Flores Island on Saturday, 15 August 2026, with an updated magnitude of 7.7 and a shallow depth of around 15 kilometers, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

BMKG reported that the quake generated a tsunami observed at multiple tide-gauge stations across four provinces, including Nusa Tenggara Timur, and caused casualties and damage in coastal areas such as Manggarai Barat, Manggarai, Manggarai Timur and Sikka.

Sikka regency, where Ndete is located, was among the areas that experienced infrastructure damage of varying severity, according to BMKG summaries of the event.

Local officials assess damaged mooring

During his visit to Ndete on 9 September, nearly four weeks after the earthquake, Sikka Transportation Agency head Jemi Sadipun described the mooring’s condition as heavily damaged, noting cracked sections and collapsed parts that prevent fishing boats from berthing to land their catch.

He said the structural failure was a direct result of the Flores quake.

The mooring is used by local motorboat fishermen from Ndete to land fish after trips in nearby waters.

With the facility inoperable, boats have had to stop offshore and pass their catch to smaller vessels.

The regency government is studying options to address the damage, according to the local report, with the mooring identified as infrastructure affected by the Flores earthquake.

As of 9 September 2026, no specific repair budget, design plan or construction timetable had been publicly announced for the Ndete facility.

Fishermen continue working with offshore transfers

Local fishermen have kept fishing activity going by adopting an offshore transfer system.

Fish are moved from the larger motorboats that would normally tie up at the mooring onto smaller boats at sea, then carried to shore for unloading.

The report did not quantify how many boats or fishers are affected, nor did it detail the volume of catch handled through the damaged mooring.

It also provided no information on whether the temporary offshore transfer method has increased operational risks or costs, or whether alternative landing points are available nearby.

Key facts

• Earthquake magnitude: 7.7
• Earthquake date: Saturday, 15 August 2026
• Earthquake location: offshore north of Flores Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur
• Location of damaged mooring: Ndete, Reroroja village, Magepanda district, Sikka regency
• Reported damage: heavy damage with cracked and collapsed sections
• Temporary access method: fish transferred offshore from larger fishing boats to smaller boats, then taken to shore

As of the latest publicly available local report dated 9 September 2026, the Ndete motorboat mooring remained badly damaged, and fishermen were still relying on offshore transfers to land their catch while authorities discussed potential repairs.

Sources

• POS-KUPANG.COM via Tribunnews Kupang
• BMKG – various releases and articles on the Flores M7.7 earthquake and tsunami