Planned hunting resort sparks environmental outrage
Planned hunting resort sparks environmental outrage
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
A Lampung administration plan to open a 250-hectare international
hunt resort in West Lampung Regency has sparked condemnation from
environmental activists who say it will affect the neighboring
protected national park.
They accused the local administration of trying to legalize
gambling activities on the location and poaching from the Bukit
Barisan Selatan National Park.
The activists say the West Lampung administration has failed
to be transparent about its plans to open the resort which many
sources say is financed by Jakarta-based businessman Tommy Winata
who has alleged links to illegal gambling.
"This has led the public, especially non-governmental
organizations, to be suspicious about the tourist project's
mission that could worsen environmental deterioration in the
national park as well bring suffering to locals," Bandarlampung
Legal Aid Institute director Watoni Nurdin said here on Tuesday.
Watoni warned that the environmental degradation in the
regency, especially inside the protected national park, has
reached alarming levels and the project could bring a massive
catastrophe to the park, the home to thousands of rare and
protected species.
Dirman of the Lampung Forest Conservation Coalition (K2HL)
opposed the hunt resort project which he said was an attempt by
the West Lampung administration to legalize the rampant poaching
of protected species, especially elephants for their tusks,
tigers for their pelts and deer for their meat.
"The project has gained strong backing from local authorities
and we have strong evidence that security authorities are
involved in the poaching. We have frequently exposed it to the
mass media but it has yet to draw attention from the government,"
he said.
Dirman said that instead of the project, it was better for the
local administration to focus its attention on how to salvage the
protected park and stop poaching in the forest area.
He said the project would not ignite protests and criticism
from the public should the local administration give assurances
that it would not endanger the ecosystem and would be good for
the local people economically.
Guswarman of the Mitra Bentala Lampung (MBL) said the project
would certainly affect the protected park's wildlife.
Many locals in the regency have been attacked by tigers and
their farmland damaged by elephants since their habitat in the
park was disturbed by poachers and illegal logging, he warned.
West Lampung Regent I Wayan Dhirpa rejected the criticism,
saying the hunt resort was aimed at curbing poaching in the park
and the Way Kambas National Park and improving locals' financial
condition.
"The hunt-tourist resort is expected to lure domestic and
foreign tourists in attempts to improve the local
administration's revenue and improve the lives of the people
living near the location," he said.
The local administration has gained 200 deer from the Bogor
Presidential Palace for hunting and was building ten luxury
cottages for tourists. "We will supply more animals for hunts and
vehicles and motorcycles for tourists to travel around the large
area," he said, predicting it would cost Rp 1 billion per month
to maintain the resort.
He declined to comment on Tommy Winata who is reportedly
financing the project but said the project was a joint enterprise
between the local administration and the private sector.
Tommy was believed to be behind gambling activities aboard
foreign ships around the Seribu Islands off Jakarta in 2000.
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid ordered a crack down on the
illegal activities.
Wayan said the tourist resort would feature targeted animals
marked with certain signs.
"Tourists will not be allowed to hunt unmarked targets and
protected species and those found guilty of killing protected
species will be brought to court," he said.