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.