Endangered birds need to be saved

JAKARTA (JP): Development in the Banten Bay area must be reduced to save nearby coral reefs and a nearly-extinct species of bird, environmental researchers said yesterday.

Yus Rusila Noor, a researcher from Wetland International, a non-governmental organization which specializes in wetland research, said that Dua Island, a tiny island among the Thousand Islands north of Jakarta, is home to "white storks", known locally as wil-wo.

There are approximately 5,000 of these white storks left in the world, 90 percent of which are in Indonesia.

Yus participated in the Banten Bay research project, which was jointly-held by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Netherlands' government. The project's findings were announced yesterday during a workshop on Marine and Coastal Research.

Wawan Kiswanto, a researcher at LIPI, said he was surprised to discover that the coral reefs in the bay area are still pristine. "About 15 to 85 percent are in good condition," he said, adding that great effort should be made to maintain the present condition of the reefs.

The researchers jointly conducted a feasibility study around the Banten Coastal Zone in anticipation of development projects in the Greater Jakarta area and in the Cilegon-Merak area.

Dwi Abad Tiwi, an urban planner at BPPT, said Banten Bay's strategic location has attracted rapid development of infrastructure and industry, including fish and shrimp ponds. There have also been rapid transfers of land ownership.

"We're not saying that development should be stopped altogether. We are just saying that perhaps development effects can be reduced by closely monitoring the growth," Dwi added. (14)