Plan for Minahasa container port opposed

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.