PONTIANAK-The government and a number of environmental NGOs are holding another campaign to save protected plants and wildlife. The Earth Day commemoration agenda was held on April 27-29, 2016 and targeted three villages in West Kalimantan. The three villages are Lingga and Korek villages in Ambawang sub-district, Kubu Raya, and Wajok village in Siantan sub-district, Mempawah district.

In Lingga Village, the campaign was centered in a betang house and attended by hundreds of residents. They consisted of students at all levels, civil society, and TNI / Polri. All melted in a series of Earth Day commemorations on April 22.

The campaign initiated by the West Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) together with WWF-Indonesia West Kalimantan Program, GIZ-Forclime, Forina, BLHD West Kalimantan, and the West Kalimantan Forestry Service emphasizes the long-term educational aspect.

This received appreciation from the Head of Lingga Village, Hendrikus. According to him, the target of this campaign is very appropriate because it involves many parties. From school children to parents. "I believe there are still many people who do not know the legal consequences of keeping protected plants or animals," he said on Tuesday (4/27/2016).

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the West Kalimantan Forestry Service, Lazarus Marpaung, who was also present and opened the event in Lingga Village, said that there are too many types of protected plants and wildlife (TSL) that go unnoticed. "Kantung semar alone is not recognized by school-age children. Luckily, parents still recognize them. It's just that the knowledge is not transferred to the children," he said.

In the middle of his speech, Lazarus did point to a picture of a semar bag listed on the committee banner. Then, the name of the plant was asked to the students. However, the students no longer recognized it.

He suggested that the types of protected plants and wildlife could be included in local content in schools. "Don't let our young generation no longer recognize the natural wealth we have," he pleaded.

Meanwhile, Head of the Sub-Department of the West Kalimantan BKSDA, Toto Suparto, emphasized the conservation aspect. According to him, conservation is not just prohibiting. Conservation is the management of natural resources that can ensure their wise use, ensure the sustainability of their supply, while maintaining and improving the quality of their diversity.

He cited the example of the super red arowana fish (Sceleropages formosus). "In nature, this type of fish is protected. But there are already cultivation efforts in the form of breeding. And this can spur the economy of residents. But, of course, there are procedures. You can't just catch it in nature. It must be taken from captivity which is then legalized by BKSDA, "he said.

This was also agreed by Ismet Khaeruddin from GIZ Forclime. According to him, this country can progress and its citizens prosper if it is supported by the principles of sustainable development. "The spirit of conservation is economic, social, and environmental development. If the three can be well integrated, then the rate of climate change can be suppressed," he said.

In contrast, Arif Rifqi from Forina highlighted the rescue of orangutans in West Kalimantan. In front of residents and students, he told why the state protects the animal. "The state protects orangutans because of their dwindling population. In fact, orangutans function to maintain the balance of nature," he said.

Arif also explained that in terms of genetics, orangutans have similarities with humans up to 97 percent. Likewise, the types of diseases suffered by orangutans are the same as humans. In this condition, both are very prone to infect each other. "So, let orangutans live in their habitat in the forest. Don't keep them at home. The risk is very big," Arif pleaded.

Case study results

Technical Support Unit (TSU) Leader of WWF-Indonesia's West Kalimantan Program, Syahirsyah said, Korek and Lingga Villages in Ambawang Subdistrict, as well as Wajok Village in Siantan Subdistrict, based on the results of case studies identified 2-3 times conflict between humans and protected plants and wildlife.

"This location is actually close to the provincial capital. But it has high pressure, where the area around the area is being developed into cultivation areas, both forestry and plantations," he said.

Currently, said Syahirsyah, cooperation between related parties and the community in conservation and law enforcement related to protected plants and wildlife is still weak. "This is the time for us to collaborate. Because, the success of plant and wildlife conservation in the cultivation area really depends on the support of all parties," he concluded.

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For more information, please contact:

Syahirsyah

(TSU Program Leader West Kalimantan, WWF-Indonesia)

HP: 0811566832 | Email: [email protected]