Karimunjawa, paradise of flora, fauna

Karimunjawa, paradise of flora, fauna

Bambang M, Contributor/Jepara, Central Java

The blueness of the sea, the cleanliness and whiteness of the
sand, and the virginity of the coastal forests are only part of
the natural, exotic beauty tourists can enjoy at Karimunjawa
National Park in the Karimunjawa islands, Jepara regency, Central
Java, about 72 kilometers north of the provincial capital,
Semarang.

The 27-island, 110,625-hectare area, which was designated a
national park in 1988, offers various types of natural beauty,
mostly marine, as, of the whole area, only some 1,500 hectares is
land.

Among the features of the park are coral reefs, as well as
mangrove, coastal and lowland tropical rain forest.

"The coral reefs and the decorative fish here are as beautiful
and varied as in Bunaken, North Sulawesi," said conservation
expert Juwantoko of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University's School
of Forestry.

The Karimunjawa National Park Office (BTNK) has recorded some
64 different types of coral reef in the park, 290 species of
coral fish, seven species of kima (giant clam), three species of
turtles and other marine biota, including sponges,
soft coral, and anemone. Some are protected species.

However, of the varied fauna that Karimunjawa is home to, the
hollow nautilus, or Nautillius pompilius, is the species' flag-
bearer, which explains why this mollusk has been made the symbol
of Karimunjawa National Park.

"We have made the nautilus the symbol of the park because the
population of this particular mollusk is still relatively high,"
BTNK head Harijanto said, adding that this fact also explained
why Karimujawa is often referred to as the home of the hollow
nautilus.

The hollow nautilus is a protected species that is often
dubbed a living fossil. That is because the biota has existed for
100 million years. Unfortunately, its population is falling due
to the uncontrolled collecting of the mollusk. It is collected
for its beautiful red-striped shell, which are usually sold as
souvenirs.

However, as the nautilus lives in the basin of the sea, at a
depth of some 1,800 meters, it is difficult for a tourist to meet
the "host" of the park. But you can still enjoy the beauty of its
shells at the BTNK information center on Karimun Island.

On the island, visitors can also meet some other "hosts" of
the park, such as the extremely poisonous edor snake
(Calloselasma rhodosthoma), long-tailed monkey (Macaca
fascicularis), deer (Cervus sp.), three butterflies endemic to
Karimunjawa, Euploea crameri karimondjawensis, Euploea sylvester
karimondjawensis and Idea leuconoee karimondjawensis,
and the white-chested sea eagle (Haliaetus leucogaster).

Karimunjawa is also a good habitat for raptors. Last August,
for example, the Yogyakarta Animal Rescue Center (PPSJ) released
four white-chested sea eagles that the center had saved from
captivity.

"It's the first release ever held in Indonesia," said PPSJ
director Sugihartono, adding that a survey by the center found
there were some eight to 10 pairs of white-chested sea eagles in
Karimunjawa National Park.

With the release, hopefully, the population of the raptor in
the park will be higher in the future, so that visitors can also
enjoy the beautiful sight of the sea eagles catching fish in the
sea.

Karimunjawa National Park, according to Harijanto, is also
famous for its lowland rain forest ecosystem, something most
other national parks do not have. From a distance, the forest
looks so green and cooling to the eyes. Here live two species of
dewandaru, the Fragraea elliptica and Cleistocalix macrophyla,
and another plant locally known as kalimasada (Cordia
subcordata). Dewandaru and kalimasada are believed to have
supernatural powers and there wood is often made into souvenirs
like walking sticks and rosaries.

The mangrove forest in Karimunjawa is no less rich, with some
25 species of indigenous mangrove and 19 other species of
mangrove trees. It is unfortunate, however, that in some places
the mangroves have been cut down to make fishponds.

"The greatest threat to Karimunjawa indeed is not from nature
but humans," Harijanto said.

According to Fitriana, also of the BTNK, illegal logging is
rampant in the lowland rain forest area. Unless serious action is
taken against this illegal practice, she says, the "veranda" of
the beautiful Karimunjawa, along with its beautiful coral reefs,
will eventually be history. Erosion and abrasion will kill the
coral reefs because soil sedimentation will prevent the coral
from getting the sunshine it needs to live.

Apart from that, the ongoing uncontrolled, environmentally
unfriendly fishing activities using poison and nets are also
damaging the reefs.

That excludes the uncontrolled hunting of hollow nautilus and
other sea and land biota that is no less damaging to the
environment.

The illegal catching of various species of decorative fish and
kima such as sand kima (Hippopus hippopus) is also
still going on uncontrolled, and so is the hunting of other
animals including deer and birds. Some sources say that some
high-ranking government officials in Karimunjawa are involved in
the illegal hunting of deer.

"But, of course, it's difficult to prove. We are doing our
best to discover the truth about it," said Harijanto, adding that
the BTNK had carried out programs both to increase people's
awareness of the importance of conservation, as well as to lessen
the natural pressure caused by human activities.

Karimunjawa can be reached either from Jepara by speedboat or
from Semarang by either speedboat or small plane; all head to
Karimunjawa Island. It is from Karimun Island that tours to the
other islands in the region, as well as the journey home, are
arranged.

When leaving Karimum Island in the afternoon at about 2 p.m.
-- if they are lucky -- tourists may also have the opportunity to
enjoy a beautiful sunset while at the port in Semarang.