Weighing up privatization of Komodo National Park<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry in Jakarta is keeping many interest
\ngroups waiting anxiously.<\/p>\n
It is reviewing a request by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), an
\nindependent American environmental non-governmental organization
\n(NGO), which became involved in conservation in Komodo in 1995,
\nto hand over management of Komodo National Park to a private
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
The company, PT Putri Naga Komodo, is jointly owned by TNC (60
\npercent) and hotel magnate Malaysia-born Feisol Hashim (40
\npercent). Together they want to manage the park for 25 years.<\/p>\n
Park chief Matheus H. Halim acknowledges that the bottom line
\nin the disputed collaboration concerns money.<\/p>\n
The cash-strapped government has learned that without adequate
\nfunding, it would be powerless to handle lawlessness -- poaching
\nof komodo, deer and boar, dynamite fishing and theft of other
\npriceless park resources.<\/p>\n
\"The park belongs to the world, so what's wrong with involving
\nan international NGO that can generate money to finance its
\nconservation?\" he says.<\/p>\n
TNC officials insist that private professional management is
\nnecessary to market the park as an international ecotourist haven
\nto generate the money needed to conserve its unique habitat.<\/p>\n
\"We need marketing savvy from a professional business
\npartner,\" says Rili Djohani, TNC director in charge of Komodo
\nNational Park.<\/p>\n
\"All proceeds from the venture will go toward conservation and
\nwe will withdraw as soon as the park is financially self-
\nreliant,\" she says.<\/p>\n
Among TNC's plans is the raising of the entrance fee to US$30
\nfrom the current $2; it could be further increased when the
\nfacility is better equipped. This will be still lower than the
\n$100 visitor entry fee to Galapagos park in Ecuador, with which
\nKomodo also cooperates.<\/p>\n
Another source that TNC anticipates is revenue from sales of
\nKomodo merchandising. Currently, merchandise is sold by hawkers
\nunder the trees at the entrance to Komodo.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals at Komodo have fallen drastically since 1997,
\nwhen the economic crisis began to bite. Official figures released
\nby the park show that arrivals declined from 32,174 to 19,338 in
\n1999. Numbers continued to drop, from 10,955 in 2001 to a mere
\n988 last year. About 90 percent of visitors come from overseas.
\nThis year, arrivals are expected to decline even further due to
\nthe Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare.<\/p>\n
TNC has allocated $800,000 (about Rp 7 billion) for the
\nconservation of Komodo this year, according to Rili. If its
\nrequest is approved, PT Putri Naga would invest about $2 million
\nper year on ecotourism-related activity.<\/p>\n
\"The company would be audited every year. The World Bank will
\nsupport the project,\" Djohani says.<\/p>\n
TNC hopes that the park will become self-sufficient from
\ntourism revenue and other user fees in about seven years,
\nalthough it acknowledges that it will be a tough target due to
\nvarious problems that have hit the tourism industry hard, such as
\nthe Bali bombings, war in Iraq and SARS.<\/p>\n
\"For now we are committed to capitalizing the long-term
\nfinancing plan with US$10 million over a period of 7 years to 10
\nyears, pending agreement from the forestry ministry,\" Djohani
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"These agreements will provide a structural solution for the
\npark; without this plan TNC will not be able to sustain its
\nfunding for Komodo and will have to develop a contingency plan,\"
\nshe added. She declined to elaborate on what the plan might
\ninvolve.<\/p>\n
The proposed involvement of a private company has met strong
\nobjection from interest groups, notably local NGOs, fishermen
\nfrom other areas fearful of losing fishing grounds and tour
\noperators worried that PT Putri Komodo would eventually
\nmonopolize the leisure business in Komodo.<\/p>\n
Opposition has also come from Mesa islanders, who live on a
\ntiny island within the national park. They argue that TNC and the
\npark management have robbed them of their ancestral rights to
\nfish much of the park's waters.<\/p>\n
A spate of incidents involving security officers and fishermen
\non the high seas over the past few years has painted a bleak
\npicture regarding collaboration between the government and TNC.<\/p>\n
The best-known incident occurred last year when police shot
\nand killed two of a group of people suspected of fishing using
\nbombs in the Flores Sea within the park.<\/p>\n
The park has been divided into usage zones. Fishing is allowed
\nin nonrestricted areas, but only nondestructive equipment is
\npermitted.<\/p>\n
Critics say that the 25-year concession proposed by TNC could
\nlead to permanent, exclusive rights, akin to forest concession
\nrights responsible for the destruction of so much of Indonesia's
\nforests.<\/p>\n
Park chairman Halim dismisses fears that Indonesia would lose
\ncontrol of the park if TNC's request were eventually granted.<\/p>\n
\"The government would retain control (over the park) while the
\nprivate sector would be in charge of marketing it,\" he said. \"We
\nbadly need someone who can make money (for management of the
\npark).\" -- Pandaya<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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