Illegal logging threatens Sumatra's park
Illegal logging threatens Sumatra's park
By Budisantoso Budiman
BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung (Antara): South Bukit Barisan National Park, home to a wide variety of species, is in danger due to unchecked illegal logging and poaching.
There has been no formal report detailing the park's rich biodiversity but, like other jungles in Sumatra, its known biodiversity is impressive.
Among the endangered mammals found in the park are wild buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) living at Way Sleman-Blimbing, small monkeys called kera buku, Sumatran elephants, Sumatran rhinos, tapirs, sun bears and Sumatran tigers. Other imperiled animals in the park are tarsius (Tarsius bancanus), "golden cat" (Catopuma terminckii) as well as 355 bird species.
A recent study of the park conducted by the Worldlife Conservation Society-Indonesia Program (WCS-IP), according to project director Margaret F. Kinnaird and project manager Hariyo T. Wibisono, showed that the jungle still held a wide variety of mammal species.
A great deal of these are endemic to Sumatra, such as the Sumatran rhino and tiger, the tapir, sun bear and "golden cat". The project recorded a total of 33 mammal species, six bird species and one reptile species endemic to Sumatra. The project also reported 10 species previously unrecognized, including kera buku.
The South Bukit Barisan National Park was the first nature reserve in South Sumatra. The project was begun on Dec. 24, 1935, by the Dutch colonial administration. Then on April 1, 1979, the area was designated by the Indonesian government as South Sumatra's first conservation area.
It was declared a national park on Oct. 14, 1982, and was inaugurated at the third World National Park Congress in Denpasar, Bali, together with several other national parks.
The 356,800-hectare park is the third largest in Sumatra, stretching from western Lampung to southern Bengkulu. Administratively, it straddles three regencies, Tanggamus in Southern Lampung (10,500 ha), West Lampung (280,300 ha) and South Bengkulu (66,000 ha).
It serves as an important water catchment area for the regencies, with 23 rivers flowing in the park area.
The ecosystem is complete, including swamps, coastal forest, low-lying rainforest, estuaries, hill rainforest and mountain rainforest (1,964 meters above sea level).
Masa Peninsula, Menjukut Lake, Belimning, Sukaraya Atas, Suwoh, Kubu Perahu and Kramat Manula are famous ecotourist destinations. Kramat Manula, for example, contains the grave of Syech Aminnullah, which is a popular destination for Muslims and mystics.
All the park's riches are now in danger as encroachment, illegal logging and poaching continue unabated. These illegal activities are escalating and done openly.
In one place, trucks carrying stolen timber rumble by every night, reliable sources told Antara.
Poachers target tigers, rhinos and tapirs. Squatters continue to clear land for farming.
Park manager Susilo Legowo acknowledged in a meeting with local environmental activists and researchers there was very little the poorly equipped forest rangers could do to stop the illegal activities. The rangers are too few in number to secure such a vast area.
People living around the forests, assisted by NGO activists, help the authorities guard the park but this is not effective either.
WCS-IP and Landsat reported that the park has lost 39,090 hectares, or 15 percent, of its forest since 1990.
Researchers from the Rhino Protection Unit and Walhi (Indonesian Environmental Forum) give different information. They have said that as of early this year, 23,782 hectares of forest has been destroyed, while the park management acknowledges only 8,000 hectares.
WCS-IP researcher Hariyo T. Wibisono says that the destruction continues at an alarming rate.
A staffer at the Rhino Protection Unit, Arief Rubianto, says illegal logging is getting out of hand and involves security officers, rangers and businesspeople. The long arm of the law is yet to reach them.
An environmental activist from Alas Indonesia Foundation, Verry Iwan Setiawan, and Fajar Sumantri of Pratala-Tanggamus called on law enforcers to act impartial.
The executive director Walhi's Lampung chapter, Masyhuri Abdullah, says that so far the authorities have only taken action against the "small fish" and have done nothing to the powerful people behind them.
"The authorities should also act against the 'white-collar thieves' and security officers without exception if they really want to stop the illegal logging," he says.