JP\/18\/BANTI<\/p>\n
Bantimurung's butterflies still caught in the net.<\/p>\n
Fabio Scarpello
\nContributor
\nMakassar<\/p>\n
Bantimurung is wedged in the mountains 41 kilometers north of
\nMakassar in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Here a 15-metre cascade of sparkling water gushes out between
\nlushly vegetated limestone cliffs into a stream that flows
\nthrough a jungle teeming with monkeys.<\/p>\n
This is no ordinary place; the great 19th century British
\nnaturalist Sir Alfred Russel Wallace considered it a paradise.<\/p>\n
Wallace, who between 1856 and 1857 spent "some of his most
\nmemorable moments" here, was awed by the number of brightly
\ncolored butterflies that fluttered from shrub to shrub.<\/p>\n
His writings have encouraged many others to visit and study
\nthe area that was eventually declared a protected national park.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, national park status does not always mean much
\nin Indonesia. In Bantimurung, park rangers are nowhere to be seen
\nand visitors are besieged by peddlers openly offering glorious
\npressed specimens in cellophane envelopes.<\/p>\n
Rahmad Sabang, who until February 2004 worked for IRPM, a
\nlocal non-governmental organization (NGO) concerned with the
\nenvironment points the finger firmly at the government.<\/p>\n
"To begin with, the area is not fenced off as it should be,
\nand only big stones are used to delimit its 120-hectare
\nperimeter. Most of these stones are covered with overgrown
\nvegetation, which makes it difficult for people to see them.
\nAlso, perpetrators, caught in the act, only face the confiscation
\nof the butterflies and of the net. This is just not a strong
\nenough deterrent and of course they will be back the day after,"
\nRahmad says.<\/p>\n
Twelve-year-old Agus, who has never been to school, earns
\nabout Rp 20,000 a day selling butterflies and guiding tourists
\naround the park.<\/p>\n
During a conversation with Agus, it became clear that he did
\nnot truly understand the difference between legal and illegal. He
\nbelieved that butterflies were endless, and that it was his right
\nto catch as many as he could.<\/p>\n
"I am not very good at it yet, but my father, Deinundi, is the
\nbest in the area. He has been catching butterflies all his life
\nand he catches a minimum of fifty a day. I know another fifty
\npeople that do the same, but they are not as good as my father.
\nHe sells them to the owner of the restaurant at the entrance of
\nthe park for Rp 1,000 each" he said.<\/p>\n
There are a series of restaurants outside the park and besides
\noverpriced nasi goreng and lukewarm Bintang beer, butterflies are
\non offer.<\/p>\n
The prize specimens are displayed for sale in a small cabinet
\nwith a glass front containing six brightly colored butterflies
\nfor a minimum of Rp 100,000 each. The restaurant owners declined
\nto comment but a French tourist, Maurice, provided further
\ninsight into the trade.<\/p>\n
Maurice, a gentle middle-aged man, spoke no Indonesian and a
\nlittle English. The language barrier did not prevent him from
\nbuying over 80 butterflies that day.<\/p>\n
"I know that most of these butterflies are protected species
\nbut if I don't buy them someone else will. I have been to Ambon
\nand Papua as well, but here is the best place. Airport customs is
\nnot a problem. I have never declared the butterflies and I have
\nnever been stopped. However, I am not too worried because
\neverybody has a price ... Most of these butterflies will fetch a
\nminimum price of US$25 in Europe, but for some, private
\ncollectors will be prepared to pay much more," he said.<\/p>\n
The "some" Maurice is referring to are probably the papilio
\nandrocles one of the world's rarest and largest swallow-tailed
\nbutterflies, still found in Bantimurung.<\/p>\n
What Agus does not know and Maurice is not concerned about, is
\nthat the number of species in Bantimurung has been decreasing
\nsteadily.<\/p>\n
"In the past more than 200 species of butterflies were
\nrecorded in Bantimurung, but that number dwindled to one hundred
\nin the late 80's and it is believed to be much lower now. The
\ndeforestation of the area, the floods and the pesticides used in
\nthe nearby rice fields have also contributed to their decreasing
\npopulation. However, the relentless action of people catching
\nthem remains the most important factor," Rahmad said.<\/p>\n
He was quick to add that he does not blame the local people,
\nand that unless alternatives means of earning were to be
\nintroduced in the area, it would be very difficult to convince
\nthem to stop.<\/p>\n
"The NGO tries to educate people but it all comes down to
\nsurvival and there is not much else on offer. A good alternative
\nis to turn butterfly catching into a controlled industry for
\nlocals. An example to follow is PT Ikas Amboina in Bali that
\nbreeds butterflies and sell them in a sustainable ratio to
\nSingapore, Japan and Germany," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp18banti-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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