Genesis finds illegal oil palm plantations still operating in Seblat elephant habitat

The Genesis Foundation of Bengkulu has found that illegal oil palm plantations are still producing within the Seblat landscape, a crucial habitat for the Sumatran elephant, following the first phase of the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force operation. Director Egi stated that field monitoring within the concessions of PT Bentanra Agra Timber (BAT) and PT Anugerah Pratama Inspirasi (API) revealed that most of the illegal plantations that have long encroached on the forest area remain standing and continue to produce. According to Genesis, the Seblat landscape has long faced pressure from encroachment and land clearing for oil palm plantations within the forest zone. Inside the PT BAT concession, the monitoring team still observed the movement of farmers and vehicles transporting harvested crops. Oil palm stands aged between three and eight years were also found in several locations, along with farm huts and indications of new land clearing in some areas. Meanwhile, in the PT API concession, Genesis noted some developments, including the dismantling of farm huts and a reduction in new land clearing activities. However, productive oil palm plantations were still found within the area, and modified vehicles belonging to encroachers were still observed operating. The monitoring also revealed that several security facilities, such as warning signs and security lines, had been damaged. Genesis believes this condition highlights the need to strengthen post-operation surveillance by the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force to ensure more optimal enforcement. In several locations that were previously areas of new clearing, the team found signs of natural succession, with pioneer vegetation such as cogon grass, goatweed, resam ferns, melastoma, and other pioneer species beginning to grow. Genesis assesses that the recovery of the Sumatran elephant habitat in the Seblat landscape requires sustained measures, ranging from access monitoring and law enforcement to post-operation security and efforts to restore the area’s ecological function, so that the protected wildlife habitat can be optimally maintained.