JP\/4\/conserve<\/p>\n
Limited funds, expertise blamed for area damages<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Denpasar<\/p>\n
More than 20 percent of natural resources in over 450
\nconservation areas across Indonesia have been extremely depleted
\ndue to lack of government funds and poor expertise in managing
\nthem, an official said on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Social conflict that has damaged the conservation areas is
\nalso a factor,\" said Adi Susmianto, conservation director at the
\nMinistry of Forestry.<\/p>\n
He was speaking at a seminar on Management Planning for
\nProtected Marine Areas held in Sanur, Bali.<\/p>\n
Poor coordination among relevant authorities in the field in
\nconserving those areas is also part of the problem, Adi said.<\/p>\n
This exacerbates the situation as illegal logging is able to
\ncontinue unchecked in conservation areas, where there is also a
\nprevalence of forest fires, fish procurement using explosives,
\ncoral reef procurement by chemicals, reef destruction resulting
\nfrom the use of boat anchors and environmentally unfriendly
\ntourism activities.<\/p>\n
\"For example, diving and snorkeling activities in marine
\nconservation waters. Beginners could easily step on coral reefs
\nwhen diving, which could destroy the reefs,\" said Adi.<\/p>\n
He called for collaboration between the government and
\nrelevant authorities as well as local people in protecting
\nconservation areas.<\/p>\n
All parties should be ready to sign an agreement to jointly
\nmanage those areas, he added.<\/p>\n
\"We will no longer apply a top-down policy like in the past,
\nbut bottom-up instead in determining conservation areas. We will
\nhave to wait for proposals from local administrations to decide
\nwhether certain areas should be declared conservation areas.\"<\/p>\n
Adi said the top-down policy had, however, proven effective in
\nmanaging conservation areas as applied in the Wakatobi National
\nPark in Sulawesi, where law enforcement against illegal loggers
\nand settlers was improving with support from local authorities.<\/p>\n
As a result, every policy issued on the conservation area had
\nbeen seriously upheld by legal and security authorities there, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Adi also said his office would soon announce at least 12 new
\nconservation areas in Indonesia, including two marine parks
\nrespectively in Togian in Central Sulawesi, and Sepanjang island
\nin Madura, East Java.<\/p>\n
Other conservation areas will be Tessonilo in Riau province,
\nSebangau in Central Kalimantan, Kawah Ijen in East Java, Lolo
\nBata in Maluku, Aketa Jawe in North Maluku, the mountainous
\nMuller area in Central Kalimantan and Bantimurung Bulusaraung in
\nSouth Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"The remaining three are the Batang Gadis, Merapi and Merbabu
\nnational parks respectively in Sumatra and Central Java,\" said
\nAdi.<\/p>\n
The new 12 will bring the number of conservation areas in the
\ncountry to up to 460, he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4conserve-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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