Indonesia: Mangrove clearance threatens Komodo National Park

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 15;

Komodo National Park in West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is being threatened by the cutting down of mangrove trees around the park’s perimeter.

House of Representatives Commission IV members visited the park and received information from West Manggarai residents about the felling of mangrove trees.

The park office has been urged to immediately take stern measures against those who cut down mangrove trees in the park or its buffer zones as felling mangrove trees is against the law.

West Manggarai community figure Pastor Marselinus Agot, who once received an environmental award from the Forestry Ministry, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that law enforcers in the regency never took action against offenders.

Marselinus said law enforcers in the regency were reluctant to act against any officials responsible for environmental damage and instead opted to arrest civilians.

“In 2009, many residents in Nggorang village were arrested for felling trees, while there were individuals in West Manggarai who felled thousands of trees in the same location but weren’t arrested or processed according to the law,” said Marselinus.

He pointed out that cutting down mangrove trees was detrimental to the environment because mangrove forests acted as buffer zones for Komodo National Park, which was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011.

The other six natural wonders that year were the Amazon in South America, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and Argentine province of Misiones, Jeju Island in South Korea, Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines and Table Mountain in South Africa.

Marselinus went on to say that if the felling of the mangroves continued, the park’s appeal would drop further and eventually it would no longer be famous and its status as a wonder of nature could be revoked.

“I am deeply saddened by those who cut down the mangrove forests in the park’s buffer zones. I appeal to every stakeholder, including the central government, provincial and regency administrations, to immediately address the problem. If local officials are involved, bring them to justice,” said Marselinus.

An activist of Sunspirit for Justice and Peace non-governmental group in the regency and member of the Bolo Lobo Community, Kris Bedha Somerpes, said he had received information that 2 hectares of mangrove forests had been deforested in Warloka, Menjaga and Macang Tanggar villages, and Sebayur Island.

Kris said Komodo National Park would no longer been known as a natural wonder if the government failed to stop mangrove deforestation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

He went on to say that there was injustice in West Manggarai in that when a fisherman felled a mangrove tree he would be immediately prosecuted while an official in West Manggarai who was involved in illegal logging would never be processed by the law.

Kris claimed that Komodo National Park had become a commodity for negotiation among political elites.