Mangrove forests in Indramayu under threat<\/p>\n
Bambang Parlupi, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A variety of human activities in waterfront areas have made
\nJava's northern coast mangroves highly vulnerable. The emergence
\nof fishing settlements, industrial plants and fish ponds is
\nnoticeable along the main coastline, particularly in some
\ndistricts of Indramayu regency, West Java.<\/p>\n
Indramayu environmental activist Eka Priyatna, who heads the
\nregency branch of Saka Wanabakti, a scout organization engaged in
\nforest conservation, has attributed the threatened mangroves in
\nhis area mainly to the lack of awareness among people living
\nalong the coast.<\/p>\n
"It's because they are mostly primary school graduates who had
\nto work with their parents as fisherfolk," he said.<\/p>\n
The local forestry office, according to him, also performs
\noverlapping duties in forest management, which has caused a
\ndivergence of opinion on nature conservation between the regency
\nadministration and the central government.<\/p>\n
"The other factor is the low education of field personnel and
\nthe limited number of security personnel, which hampers proper
\nlaw enforcement," Eka added.<\/p>\n
Abdul Gofar, a nature conservation consultant from Indramayu's
\nPerhutani state forestry company, voiced the same concern.<\/p>\n
"A lot of mangrove forest has been cut down since the economic
\ncrisis seven years ago. Originally taken only as firewood for
\ncooking, thousands of hectares of mangrove in northern districts
\nare now damaged and have been converted into fish or shrimp
\nponds," he pointed out.<\/p>\n
He also referred to a natural factor that forces fishermen to
\nexploit coastal forests. The strong west wind, causing high
\nwaves, prevents fishermen from working at sea so they are forced
\nto fell mangroves for sale, create fish ponds in forest land or
\nundertake other economic activities in coastal districts.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, no less than 50 percent of the regency's
\nmangrove forest has been lost to other uses. Thousands of
\nhectares have become fish ponds, salt manufacturing centers or
\nsettlements.<\/p>\n
Along the coasts of Balongan, Eretan and Karang Song, for
\nexample, mangroves as natural buffers have been replaced by rocks
\nas breakwaters, depriving them of the ecosystem of the 1980s.<\/p>\n
Consequently, coastal erosion is more intense, with seawater
\nabrasion starting to eat away at village homes and even approach
\nmajor highways.<\/p>\n
"Seawater intrusion occurs even farther into coastal land. In
\nKandanghaur, seawater resorption reaches from five kilometers
\n(km) to 10 km inland," warned Eka.<\/p>\n
The same situation prevails in the mangrove forest ecosystem
\nof Java in general. Indonesia has the world's largest mangrove
\nzone, accounting for 18 percent to 23 percent of a total 15
\nmillion hectares of the earth's mangrove habitat.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's mangrove forests are located in Papua (38
\npercent), Sumatra (19 percent), Kalimantan (28 percent), Java and
\nother regions.<\/p>\n
Eka said various attempts had been made to conserve mangroves
\nin Indramayu and prevent their exploitation, through information
\ngiven to coastal communities, fishermen and even schools, as well
\nas through replanting projects. In 2003, the local administration
\nand the scout movement planted tens of thousands of seedlings in
\ncritical areas like Balongan.<\/p>\n
However, mangrove rehabilitation in Balongan failed. "The
\nlevel of abrasion was quite high and local people's awareness was
\nstill low. The seedlings could not resist strong waves, with only
\na small number left after about eight months, while a
\nconsiderable sum was spent on them," he explained.<\/p>\n
The failure has not prevented Indramayu's mangrove
\nconservation effort, nonetheless. "This year, regional officials,
\nstudents and scouts will join hands in a mangrove replanting
\ndrive slated for April, as part of the forestry ministry's
\nprogram through the National Land and Forest Rehabilitation
\nMovement," Gofar said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Cemara district, Losarang, still retains the best
\nmangrove forest of Indramayu, possibly even of Java. "It is a
\nmodel of the northern coast's virgin mangrove forest ecosystem,"
\nnoted Gofar.<\/p>\n
With its beautiful coast, variety of mangrove species and
\nmultifarious marine organisms, Cemara belongs to the category of
\nnature conservation areas now under the management of the local
\nPerhutani. "It takes three hours from the town of Indramayu to
\nreach the district, with several more kilometers accessible only
\non foot or by motorbike," he added.<\/p>\n
Mangroves fulfill a number of diverse functions, as a place
\nfor reproduction of various sea and coastal animals, a shield
\nagainst coastal abrasion and erosion, a nutrient pump that
\naccommodates trace elements and soil particles while absorbing
\norganic pollutants and pesticides, building material, provider of
\ncharcoal and coloring agents, a source of traditional medicine
\nand as a site for nature tourism, education and research.<\/p>\n
The writer is a member of the World Wide Fund for Nature
\nIndonesia<\/p>",
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