Hundreds occupy mangrove forests

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung

Hundreds of local residents have cut down mangrove forests in 2,800 hectares of coastal land in Sungai Burung, Seputih subdistrict, Central Lampung regency, which belonged to aquaculture firm PT Central Pertiwi Bahari (CPB).

At least 833 residents occupied the land and constructed their own shrimp ponds there.

Johannes Kitono, the head of public relations at the company, said on Wednesday that another group of residents had occupied 5,000 hectares of the company's land in Sungai Nibung, Gedong Meneng subdistrict, Tulangbawang regency, some 100 kilometers east of Sungai Burung. "They have established 12 settlements in the area over the last two years. A total of more than 6,000 settlers are involved," Johannes said.

The squatters had built houses, and developed oil palm and cassava plantations on the land.

The government has awarded concessions in Lampung province to PT CPB extending to 22,721 hectares, some 3,500 hectares of which has been used for the development of industrial shrimp ponds.

Kitono said that if the authorities failed to address the illegal occupation problem, the company was worried that it could ultimately threaten the existence of the industrial shrimp ponds.

"The squatters' shrimp ponds, which are not properly managed, can spread disease to the shrimp ponds that are currently under our management," he said.

The occupation and clearance of mangrove forests has also been occurring on land managed by another aquaculture firm, PT Dipasena Citra Dharmaja (DCD), in Sungai Sidang hamlet, Rawadjitu district, Tulangbawang regency.

As in the case of the PT CPB concessions, local residents have cleared forests in PT DCD's 3,000-hectare mangrove forest concession. They have been squatting on the land for the last few months and constructed their own shrimp ponds there. PT DCD has concessions extending to some 14,600 hectares in Lampung province.

A spokesperson for PT DCD, Agus Tito, said that the cutting down of the mangrove forest could lead to erosion and threaten the industrial shrimp ponds that had been developed by the company.

"We demand that the security forces keep these people away from our concessions," said Tito.

Separately, the head of Sungai Sidang hamlet, Renpil Rifa'i, said that the mangrove forests in the area had been the property of local residents for hundreds of years.

He said that nobody had the right to prohibit local people from clearing the mangrove forests and building shrimp ponds. "These are ancestral lands belonging to the hamlet. The residents cannot be blamed for clearing of mangroves just because they want to improve their living standards," he said.

He criticized PT DCD, which he accused of occupying 600 hectares belonging to local residents.

Ahmad Misdi, 40, a resident of Rawadjitu, said that he had cleared an area of mangrove forest two years ago. He claimed that he had done nothing wrong as the land was unoccupied at the time.

"The mangrove forest is not a protected forest so there is nothing wrong with us cutting it down," he said.

Data provided by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment's (Walhi) Lampung branch shows that 85 percent of a total of 160 hectares of mangrove forest in Lampung province has been destroyed since 1998, when local residents began cutting down the mangroves and occupying the land.

Some 12,000 hectares consist of protected areas along the estuary of the Mesuji River in Tulangbawang regency.

"The destruction of the mangrove forests here is alarming, as the area is supposed to be protected. The role played by this area is important in preventing erosion on the east coast of Tulangbawang regency," said Mukri Priatna, the executive director of Walhi's Lampung branch.

In 1999, the area was still green as viewed from the air, but now large parts of it are either barren or been converted into shrimp ponds.

Walhi have called on both the aquaculture companies and local residents to stop clearing the mangroves so as to avoid further environmental degradation in the area.

According to Walhi data, Indonesia's mangrove forests cover 3.54 million hectares across the country, accounting for between 18 and 24 percent of the total 17.5 million hectares of mangrove forest worldwide.