'Most conservation areas unprotected'<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
The majority of 277 animal conservation areas across the country
\nare left unprotected, threatening the sustainability of animals
\nhere, a noted ornithologist warns.<\/p>\n
Rudiyanto, a senior program officer of Birdlife-Asia, said
\nmost of the important conservation areas in West Java were
\nofficially protected. These included Ujung Kulon, Gede Pangrango
\nMountain and Mount Salak Halimun, he said.<\/p>\n
However, in many other areas in Java, including Muara Gembong,
\nTanjung Sedari and the east cost of Surabaya, were left abandoned
\nby officials, he said. One vital spot, the Sahendaruman mountains
\nin the remote Sangir Talaud Islands, North Sulawesi, is as one of
\nthe important biodiversity areas in the world.<\/p>\n
With 700 hectares of forest, Sahendaruman is a home to a
\ndiverse composition of birds, including nearly extinct species
\nand rare birds only found in that area.<\/p>\n
Sahendaruman had not yet been declared a conservation area due
\nto its remoteness and a lack of funds, Rudiyanto said.<\/p>\n
\"It would indeed be difficult to do conservation work there,
\nand it would add to the government's workload. However, there are
\nother ways, even without turning the location into a conservation
\narea,\" Rudiyanto said on the sidelines of a seminar here during
\nthe weekend.<\/p>\n
Several environmental groups had succeeded in conserving
\nofficially unprotected areas in Indonesia by encouraging
\ncommunity participation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"(In this way) the government would work only as a
\nfacilitator,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The seminar also marked the beginning of the Indonesian
\nOrnithology Association (IdOU) to enhance the study of local
\nbirds, which is still limited despite the country's rich
\nbiodiversity.<\/p>\n
\"Foreigners have been coming here to find out about local
\nbirds when it should be us who care more about the animals and do
\nmore studies on them,\" ornithologist Mochamad Somadikarta said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/most-conservation-areas-unprotected-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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