Hundreds occupy mangrove forests<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Hundreds of local residents have cut down mangrove forests in
\n2,800 hectares of coastal land in Sungai Burung, Seputih
\nsubdistrict, Central Lampung regency, which belonged to
\naquaculture firm PT Central Pertiwi Bahari (CPB).<\/p>\n
At least 833 residents occupied the land and constructed their
\nown shrimp ponds there.<\/p>\n
Johannes Kitono, the head of public relations at the company,
\nsaid on Wednesday that another group of residents had occupied
\n5,000 hectares of the company's land in Sungai Nibung, Gedong
\nMeneng subdistrict, Tulangbawang regency, some 100 kilometers
\neast of Sungai Burung. \"They have established 12 settlements in
\nthe area over the last two years. A total of more than 6,000
\nsettlers are involved,\" Johannes said.<\/p>\n
The squatters had built houses, and developed oil palm and
\ncassava plantations on the land.<\/p>\n
The government has awarded concessions in Lampung province to
\nPT CPB extending to 22,721 hectares, some 3,500 hectares of which
\nhas been used for the development of industrial shrimp ponds.<\/p>\n
Kitono said that if the authorities failed to address the
\nillegal occupation problem, the company was worried that it could
\nultimately threaten the existence of the industrial shrimp ponds.<\/p>\n
\"The squatters' shrimp ponds, which are not properly managed,
\ncan spread disease to the shrimp ponds that are currently under
\nour management,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The occupation and clearance of mangrove forests has also been
\noccurring on land managed by another aquaculture firm, PT
\nDipasena Citra Dharmaja (DCD), in Sungai Sidang hamlet, Rawadjitu
\ndistrict, Tulangbawang regency.<\/p>\n
As in the case of the PT CPB concessions, local residents have
\ncleared forests in PT DCD's 3,000-hectare mangrove forest
\nconcession. They have been squatting on the land for the last few
\nmonths and constructed their own shrimp ponds there. PT DCD has
\nconcessions extending to some 14,600 hectares in Lampung
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for PT DCD, Agus Tito, said that the cutting
\ndown of the mangrove forest could lead to erosion and threaten
\nthe industrial shrimp ponds that had been developed by the
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
\"We demand that the security forces keep these people away
\nfrom our concessions,\" said Tito.<\/p>\n
Separately, the head of Sungai Sidang hamlet, Renpil Rifa'i,
\nsaid that the mangrove forests in the area had been the property
\nof local residents for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n
He said that nobody had the right to prohibit local people
\nfrom clearing the mangrove forests and building shrimp ponds.
\n\"These are ancestral lands belonging to the hamlet. The residents
\ncannot be blamed for clearing of mangroves just because they want
\nto improve their living standards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He criticized PT DCD, which he accused of occupying 600
\nhectares belonging to local residents.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Misdi, 40, a resident of Rawadjitu, said that he had
\ncleared an area of mangrove forest two years ago. He claimed that
\nhe had done nothing wrong as the land was unoccupied at the time.<\/p>\n
\"The mangrove forest is not a protected forest so there is
\nnothing wrong with us cutting it down,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Data provided by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment's
\n(Walhi) Lampung branch shows that 85 percent of a total of 160
\nhectares of mangrove forest in Lampung province has been
\ndestroyed since 1998, when local residents began cutting down the
\nmangroves and occupying the land.<\/p>\n
Some 12,000 hectares consist of protected areas along the
\nestuary of the Mesuji River in Tulangbawang regency.<\/p>\n
\"The destruction of the mangrove forests here is alarming, as
\nthe area is supposed to be protected. The role played by this
\narea is important in preventing erosion on the east coast of
\nTulangbawang regency,\" said Mukri Priatna, the executive director
\nof Walhi's Lampung branch.<\/p>\n
In 1999, the area was still green as viewed from the air, but
\nnow large parts of it are either barren or been converted into
\nshrimp ponds.<\/p>\n
Walhi have called on both the aquaculture companies and local
\nresidents to stop clearing the mangroves so as to avoid further
\nenvironmental degradation in the area.<\/p>\n
According to Walhi data, Indonesia's mangrove forests cover
\n3.54 million hectares across the country, accounting for between
\n18 and 24 percent of the total 17.5 million hectares of mangrove
\nforest worldwide.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hundreds-occupy-mangrove-forests-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}