Law enforcement needed to save forests

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: The law must be enforced to help preserve protected forests and national parks in the province, says a local official.

Edi Suryadi, chief of the local forestry office, said deforestation in protected forests and national parks in the province would continue unless the law was enforced.

"Local authorities and law enforcers must take stern action against those contributing to the damage of protected forests, regardless of their position and background," he said in a hearing with the Lampung provincial legislature, activists and local military and police officials here on Wednesday.

According to him, the police should take action not only against forest squatters but also against poachers and officials who backed up illegal logging in forested areas protected by law.

Edi said his office lacked the funds to resettle people squatting in protected forests and national parks.

A 1999 law on forestry and the law on the environment prohibit people from living in protected forests.

"Despite the financial restraints, we will continue to promote the two laws in an attempt to persuade forest squatters to leave protected forests in the province," he said, adding that forest squatters had caused damage to several areas in protected forests and the ecosystem with their seminomadic farming practices.

He said environmental and ecological deterioration was mainly caused by illegal logging and poaching.

He warned that deforestation in the province had caused suffering, in the form of floods and landslides, to all people in the province.

The province has Way Kambas and Bukit Barisan Selatan national parks, homes to rich biodiversity and rare species. --Antara