Plan for Minahasa container port opposed

Yongker Rumthe The Jakarta Post Manado

Environmentalists and local officials demanded on Friday the Minahasa administration in North Sulawesi cancel its plan to build a container port in Manado Bay, as it could harm Bunaken National Park.

The local government has issued a permit to private company PT Tempuranmas to construct the seaport at Pasir Panjang beach in Minahasa regency.

"The plan to develop the container port should be reviewed or canceled because the project will threaten Bunaken National Park," said Sri Hardiyanti Gunadi, a senior activist of Natural Resources Management -- a non-governmental environmental organization.

She told The Jakarta Post that the threat is "very real" because the planned site is located in the buffer zone of the protected park, a popular destination for international tourists.

"At least 7.8 hectares of the area will be reclaimed for the container port project and developed as an industrial zone," she added.

Hardiyanti, who was accompanied by former local director of Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) Moudy Gerungan, said the project will also destroy the coral reef and surrounding marine ecosystem.

"Oil spills and other pollutants will harm the natural beauty of this national park, which serves as a valuable tourist destination in North Sulawesi," she said.

Apart from that, the project also breaches the Minahasa city plan enacted by the local administration in 1993, under which the area from Pasir Panjar beach to Malalayang beach are designated tourist sites, not an industrial zone or container port.

"The Minahasa administration knows the area is not included as an industrial zone, so why has the regent issued a permit for the project? It's an inconsistent decision," said Moudy, currently a member of Manado-based Natural Resources Management.

He said the port development will also harm the province's marine tourism.

Similar opposition against the project has come from head of the North Sulawesi Land Agency Benjamin Mengga, chairperson of the province's Watersport Association Angelique Batuna, and other local marine tourism operators.

"There is no reason why the park, which covers at least 89,000 hectares of area, should be converted into an industrial zone, including the planned container port development. We should not change the existing city plan without conducting comprehensive studies first," Batuna said.

He added his group had filed a protest to Minahasa Regent Dolfie Tanor, urging him to revoke his permit for the port project.

She said the planned development will force tourism operators in the affected region to leave Minahasa as they will lose business.

"The condition of Bunaken national sea park has already been under threat because of coastal reclamation projects in Manado bay. If the Minahasa administration goes ahead with this plan, the park will be destroyed," she added.