Going, going, gone

The Jakarta Municipal Administration (DKI), the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications apparently have no control over Indonesia's premier National Marine Park in the Thousand Islands.

As of the first week of June, at least 10 local boats were excavating sand from Pulau Gosong Opak, probably lifting up to 100 tons of sand each and every day. Apart from violating DKI regulations and creating a navigational hazard, in itself a violation of Ministry of Transportation's regulation, there are serious environmental effects.

First, on the environmental front: An island is being removed from the group. More of the fast diminishing coral is lost, with associated losses to the overall marine biota of the Thousand Islands.

Second, this sand is being brought to Pulau Kaliage Besar and spread over 60 percent of that island to "Pondok Indah-fy" the already denuded protective ground vegetation. The result of this latter action reduces the delicate water table by allowing greater transpiration which, in turn, causes more vegetation loss because there is less and less fresh water. In turn, this loss of vegetation permits greater rates of coastal erosion, erosion which is further accelerated by increasing sea levels worldwide.

Third, bare sterile sand provides no food for either the already limited range of island bird life, reptiles, land crustaceans and insects.

Surely the DKI, environmental and tourism authorities are capable of policing the National Marine Park, which sits on Jakarta's doorstep. Few cities in the world have such a wonder nearby. Why not protect it effectively and properly before it is lost forever?

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