70% of mangrove forests in Babel damaged
Antara 4 Jan 10;
Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - Around 70 percent of a total of 122,000 hectares of mangrove forests in Bangka Belitung (Babel) province were damaged by tin mining operations, a forest affairs official said.
"The damage on the mangrove forests is among others caused by mining activities in the coastal regions," head of the Babel Forestry Agency Sukandar said here Sunday.
According to him, the mangrove forest destruction can kill rabs and shrimps.
"Floods and abrasion could occur at any time due to damage to the mangrove forests, and the economy of the local fishermen will also be affected," he said.
The mangrove forest damage occurred in every district of the province that needs serious handling to restore and preserve the mangrove forests, he stated.
"We`ve planted 2,000 mangrove seedlings to restore the damaged mangrove forests, as the realization of the 100 working-day program in the forestry sector," he said, adding that his office will set up a team to minimize the mangrove forests damage caused by tin mining operations. (*)
