• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

OUTREACH Development of Indonesia’s Outlying Areas TEMPO/IQBAL LUBIS The Unprotected Forest of Nantu On May 19, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed the moratorium on forest logging, as evidence of Indonesia’s commitment to the Environmental MoU with Norway. Many of Indonesia’s forests have been exploited and destroyed, including Nantu Forest in Gorontalo. This site is known as the most important refuge for rare and near-extinct animals in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the local authorities fi nd it diffi cult to fi ght the destruction that has been going on for a long time, due to illegal logging, gold mining and harvesting of rattan and bamboo trees. What needs to be done to stop the destruction of Nantu Forest? A special report from Gorontalo, North Sulawesi for Tempo English Edition. PHOTOS: CHRISTOPEL PAINO OUTREACH FOCUS IX large logs were tied up in one of the corners of the port at Mohiolo village, Aspara- ga subdistrict, Gorontalo dis- trict. With each log measur- Sing about 4 meters, the logs were lined up beside the motorboat of a local res- ident. “That is not confiscated timber. The owner is a ’catch and carry’ work- er,” an elderly gray-haired man sud- denly spoke to a youth who was turning his attention to the wood. The one spo- ken to just listened in silence. That afternoon, Saturday a week ago, the port was quiet as usual. The heat of the sun baked one’s skin. It took three hours by motorboat from Mahiolo to Nantu Forest. At times throughout the journey, the boat passengers had to help NO push the boat because of the shallow- ai ness of Paguyaman River. The river that L P pe TO is only as deep as an adult’s chest is an is R H entry way into Nantu Forest—located C in Gorontalo province, Sulawesi. The area of this animal reserve is 31,215 hectares. The area encompass- Babirusa in Adudu salt lick. she says. es three districts: Gorontalo, Boalemo In 2002, Clayton established Yayas- and North Gorontalo. Researchers de- Ravaged Nantu Forest. an Adudu Nantu International (Yani) scribe Nantu as one of the five best to mobilize more intensive and broad- biodiversity sites in Southeast Asia. If essary because many rattan gatherers er conservation efforts. Yani has an Nantu Forest is cut down, almost 50 and gold miners encroach upon the for- MoU with the North Sulawesi Natural million tons of carbon dioxide would est illegally. Resource Conservation Center (BKSDA be released polluting the atmosphere. “Prior to being guarded by the offi- Sulut). Besides working with the po- D This amount is the same as half the CO2 A cers, almost every day I would see dead lice, Yani has socialized Nantu conser- M H emissions from Hong Kong. A rare animals like pig deer and anoa vation efforts and implemented com- Nantu Forest is also the best habitat snared by irresponsible people,” says munity empowerment, providing schol- usuf for various wild animal species only S/Y Clayton. Even though these animals arships and repairing infrastructure of R E found in Sulawesi. Like the babirusa or T are included in the category of protect- school buildings. “Another effort I have EU pig-deer, anoa or dwarf buffalo (Bub- R ed wildlife by the Indonesian govern- undertaken is to publicize the unique- alus depressicornis), Sulawesi mon- ment and international law, listed in ness and biodiversity of Nantu Forest key (Macaca heckii), Sulawesi tarsier, and seriously prevented, Nantu can be- anoa meat are carried out of Nantu il- At the Adudu salt lick, a hot-wa- the red book of IUCN and CITES. Lo- on a local, national and international and more than 90 kinds of birds, includ- come merely a memory in the future. legally. “Rattan from Nantu is usually ter spring containing sulphur can be cal residents have observed the same scale,” adds Clayton. ing 35 which are endemic. When Tempo Signs of the destruction are beginning exported to Surabaya. While pig deer found—which is the main attraction thing. “Since 1994, pig deer were no In 2008, Yani collaborated with the visited, some of these birds were not the to appear. Water from the Nantu and meat is usually sold in the wildlife mar- for various forms of wildlife. Accord- longer seen once the region was opened Indonesian Association of Goronta- least bit bothered by the presence of hu- Paguyaman rivers have grown muddy ket in Minahasa, North Sulawesi,” ex- ing to Clayton, the pig deer most fre- for transmigration,” says Rusdin, a res- lo Families (KKIG)—an association of mans as they were preoccupied with en- since 2007 as a result of illegal mining in plains Alvin. quently come. “Ninety-eight percent of ident of Daenaa village. people from Gorontalo living in oth- joying the muddy river water. the upstream area, and logging. “There the activities observed are undertaken Besides destruction of the trees and er regions, together with the Indone- Unfortunately, not only the birds are four locations of gold mining within l l l by the pig deer. The remainder by oth- animals, the river in Nantu has seri- sian Association of Gorontalo Univer- were noisy. Forest encroachers were the Nantu region, that is Olongia, Botu- FIVE babirusas are playing togeth- er endemic mammals,” explains Clay- ously suffered. “The river is polluted. sity Students (HPIMG). The goal was also noisily pulling rafts full of logs. wonggubu, Nantu Kecil, and Botutum- er. A large tusked male keeps contin- ton. From 1988 until 1994, Clayton has Poison is sprinkled to catch fish and to socialize the importance of preserv- Large dead trees languished by the side baha,” says Alvin. uously licking a puddle of water. Not gathered and recorded data about the shrimp,” Clayton explains. The flow of ing Nantu Forest. “KKIG together with or the middle of the river. “Almost ev- Not to mention the illegal hunting far from this throng of animals, birds behavior of pig deer, their habitat and Paguyaman River has become irregu- Yani and other elements of Goronta- ery day the hauling of wood can be seen of pig-deer (Babyrousa babyrussa), a are busy frolicking. This place is called ecosystem in Nantu Forest. “Pig deer lar, always shifting, because there are lo society began to socialize the issue to all along the river,” said Alvin Bawo- unique, endemic species of Sulawesi. Adudu salt lick—a salty mineral depos- are a unique species. Their tusks grow no longer any large trees on the river- the Regional House of Representatives, han, a 32-year-old assistant research- According to Alvin, although the area is it—with an area of about 20 x 60 me- out of their snouts curling back to in banks as a buffer for the flow of water. educators, and citizens living near Nan- er from Yayasan Adudu Nantu Interna- patrolled almost every day with mem- ters, surrounded by large trees. It is lo- front of their eyes,” she says. Seeing the condition of Nantu wors- tu Forest,” explains Syafrudin Mosii, tional (Yani). bers of Gorontalo Regional Brimob (Mo- cated in the core zone of Nantu Forest Their food is the poisonous Pangi ening, in 1997 Lynn Clayton invited the director of KKIG. At this time Nantu is one of the few bile Brigade) Police, there are still those and can be reached within 15 minutes seeds. When licking the Adudu pool, Brimob of Gorontalo Regional Police to However, their efforts always met forests in Sulawesi that is still intact. that they miss. As a result, thousands from the guard post. “There is only one the pig deer get various minerals to pro- assist in eradicating illegal encroach- strong opposition. One of the largest But if the destruction is not quickly of cubics of timber, rattan, pig deer and Adudu in the world. Here we can see tect their stomachs from becoming too ment and gold mining. From that time incidents took place in 2009. At the rare and unique animals congregating acidic and to protect them from poi- until now, almost every day there is al- time, the Brimob personnel in Nantu and playing,” says Lynn Clayton, a re- son. Clayton discovered Adudu in 1989. ways a patrol. “As an environmental- were on patrol and succeeded in res- OUTREACH TEAM Editor: Yuli Ismartono Deputy Editor: Hermien Y. Kleden Project Officer: Sadika Hamid Writers: Sadika Hamid, searcher from Oxford University, Eng- She then set up a guard post in this lo- ist, I was moved to struggle with all my cuing 73 rafts of rattan. One raft con- Syari Fani Reporter: Christopel Paino (Gorontalo) Graphic Design: Eko Punto Pambudi Layout: Galih Gerryaldi Photo Research: land who has spent 22 years studying cation protected by four Brimob per- might to increase the security of the for- tains 20 to 30 pieces of rattan. The fol- Bismo Agung Nantu Forest. sonnel. The Brimob personnel are nec- est with the help of police enforcement,” lowing morning, about a hundred peo- 2 | TEMPO JUNE 7, 2011 JUNE 7, 2011 TEMPO | 3 OUTREACH FOCUS INTERVFOCUSIEW Lynn Clayton, Researcher at Nantu Forest: Conservation and poverty eradication can be done simultaneously N Gorontalo, people are apt to mention Lynn Clayton when Nan- tu Forest is the topic of conver- sation. This 47-year-old British woman has spent 23 years among Ithe protected flora and fauna in Nantu. Clayton’s adventure first began in 1986 in Kendari, capital of Southeast Sulawesi province. From there she hopped from one remote island to an- other in the region, all the way to Cen- tral Sulawesi, to Morowali Nation- al Park and Lake Poso.

Load more

  5

Copy Link