Indonesia church group tackles menace to mangroves

Environmentalists accuse salt firm of brazenly illegally destroying forest, people's livelihoods.

Mangroves use to grow in this part of Malaka district, East Nusa Tenggara province. But a salt company has cleared the area. The church and environment advocacy group has filed a police report, accusing the company of operating without permission. (Photo supplied)

Jakarta:  A coalition of church and environment advocacy groups have called for action to be taken against a salt company they accuse of illegally destroying more than 240 hectares of mangrove forest in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.

The Franciscan commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) filed a complaint on March 27 with police in Kupang, the provincial capital, against PT Daya Inti Kencana.

They said the firm was operating without a license and violating laws regulating coastal area and forestry management that protect mangrove forests.

The company's activities had resulted in the illegal eviction of indigenous peoples and the clearing of 242 hectares of mangrove in Malaka district to facilitate its salt production, according to the activists.

This area was important source of income for the indigenous people living in the area, the coalition said.

If found acting illegally those responsible could face 10 years in prison and a US$700,000 fine.

Father Alsis Goa Wonga, director of the JPIC, said every development project should be oriented to improve the welfare of communities, and should not neglect ecological, cultural and social conditions, as well as existing laws.

"What is happening in Malaka is a result of ignoring all this," he told ucanews.com.

“The clearing of mangrove has destroyed social and ecological orders and the living space of the Waewiku indigenous people in Malaka,” he said.

Umbu Wulang Tanaamahu Paranggi, executive director of WALHI’s branch in East Nusa Tenggara said the company is obliged to restore the environment that it has damaged.

"The company has ignored the principles of sustainable development,” he said.

“The essence of development is to meet the needs of the people, without sacrificing the rights of future generations," he said.

Elisabeth Bano, a villager in Badarai, said the sea and coast are sources of life.

"Our lives depend on the fish and shrimp that we get from the sea, for food and for selling in the market,” she said.

“But they could vanish soon,” she said, adding that villagers already produce salt about 30-50 kilograms a day, which they sell at a nearby market.

“If all these important places are owned by a company, then where else can we get income?” she said.

The company began operations in 2017 without conducting an analysis of its impacts on the environment, which is a key requirement before starting activities, opponents say.

In a statement, the company said it stood by its actions and was prepared to face a police investigation.

Source: UCAN