Wasur Park imperiled by development onslaught

By Ais Latuputty

MERAUKE, Irian Jaya (Antara): The inexorable march of development is eating away at pristine Wasur National Park, home to Southeast Asia's largest wetland area.

Its 413,000 hectares in Irian Jaya were formerly closed to all development.

That has changed. The head of the World Wide Fund office in Merauke, Sulfira Warta, says he fears ecological damage from the construction of the trans-Irian road and the Tomer-Tomerau road extension leading to the park.

"Developmental activities are now going on in greater intensity in the area of the national park...threatening 300 species of endemic birds and 32 species of waterfowl with extinction," he said.

He also worries about pollution, illegal felling and hunting of rare animals.

Researchers have also found to their dismay that grasslands in the national park area are shrinking, causing kangaroos and deer to move to other locations in search of food.

Uncontrolled illegal felling in the national park area has caused water levels to drop drastically in Rawa Biru Lake -- its name translates as "blue swamp" and it is a major scenic attraction.

More importantly, it is a source of livelihood for local people and clean water for Merauke residents.

"It is really saddening that various bird species such as pelicans, doves and wild ducks, once living freely in the national park and with sizable populations, are now threatened with extinction," a WWF researcher said.

In the 1980s, these birds had teeming populations, but very few remain today. With the sustainability of their habitat threatened, many have migrated to Tando natural reserve in Papua New Guinea, which is close to Wasur National Park.

The late British researcher Ian Craven once said Merauke district had the most complete flora and fauna area in Irian Jaya. Its Kumbe natural reserve and Bian Lake wildlife park, he said, were the most beautiful in the world.

Bian Lake, measuring 90,875 hectares, is a habitat for freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus Novaeguineae), some 250 bird species and several types of mammals.

Researches confirm that indigenous tribes -- the Kanuns, Yeis, Maroris and Marinds -- continue to earn their living around Wasur by fishing and hunting deer and kangaroo.

They are not the problem -- irresponsible poaching and illegal logging by others are disrupting the ecosystem.

This dire situation has prompted the WWF to appeal to the local administration to tighten controls over the national park area, and ensure that sustainability of the animals and the plants in the park is maintained.

Pride of place in the park is Rawa Biru Lake, which has for years attracted adventurers and scientists interested in its rich variety of fish.

But it may be a case of going, going, gone unless there is intervention. The lake has shrunk to only 6 km x 0.05 km, from its original scope of 20 km x 2 km, due to contamination and the increase in water plants on its surface.

Despite the dilemmas facing administrators, Wasur National Park and its Rawa Biru Lake are still a draw for foreign tourists, just one reason why environmentalists say every effort should be made to protect its ecosystem.