Lampung national park under threat

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: About 16 percent of the 356,800 total hectares of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, or some 57,000 hectares, has been deforested since 2002, a government official said on Thursday, citing satellite photos.

Illegal logging and forest fire are to blame for the fast pace of deforestation in the national park, said Tamen Sitorus, the head of the park's conservation body.

Rampant illegal logging is abetted by a lack of security personnel, Tamen added.

Illegal logging has been a problem in the region for years, and in March this year the government launched a nationwide campaign to stop illegal logging. Thousands of illegal loggers have been arrested, but trees continue to be felled at a furious pace, particularly in remote areas outside of Java. -- Antara