International help sought to solve elephant problem

International help sought to solve elephant problem

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja called for international cooperation yesterday to
help solve the problem of rampaging elephants in Sumatra.

During a session with the Commision X members in the House of
Representatives, who deal with environmental issues, Sarwono
spoke of the international nature of the problem and asked for an
outside helping hand.

Thousands of elephants roam Sumatra, often flattening any
farms or plantations in their path. The size or their natural
habitats is dwindling from local development and the elephants
are now encroaching upon residential areas. "There should be an
international initiative to address the matter," he said.

Sarwono's comment was the latest contribution to the ongoing
debate over what Indonesia can do to stop the elephant raids
against villages.

Elephants are a protected species by Indonesian law.

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo's recent
proposal to reduce their numbers by shooting the beasts has met
strong opposition from environmentalists.

Last week, Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo
proposed that the elephants be tamed and trained to transport
heavy goods, such as logs.

Officials have also considered exporting elephants, which have
killed at least 14 people in Sumatra since 1989. In Sumatra, the
number of elephants is estimated at 4,000, where they freely roam
the jungles of Aceh, Riau, Jambi and southern Sumatra.

The government has established elephant training centers in
Aceh and Lampung but they can accommodate only a small number of
them at a time.

Sarwono said the elephants had rapidly multiplied since their
protection by law several years ago.

The animals often run amok in residential areas when they are
no longer able to retrace the tracks established and passed down
from generation to generation. During this same time, many of
their former habitats have been turned into plantations.

The latest incident, as reported by Antara yesterday, involved
hundreds of elephants destroying several hectares of sugarcane
and banana plantations in south Sumatra on Tuesday.

Lawsuit

Addressing environmental issues, Sarwono said the government
is considering filing a law suit against PT Surya Agung Kertas, a
paper company based in Surabaya, for polluting the Surabaya
River.

The plant, which produces 270,000 tons of paper a year, has
been dumping its waste in the river without proper treatment as
required by law.

He said the pollution was so heavy that it prompted PT Miwon,
a food seasoning manufacturing company, to consider relocating
their water intake to somewhere upstream from the paper plant.
Their attempt, however, was thwarted by the local government.

"The (paper) plant has signed a statement promising to control
industrial waste and the government has been closely watching its
waste disposal," he said. (pan)