Tiger skins, bones sold openly in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post

BANGKOK (AP): The critically endangered Sumatran tiger will become extinct unless Indonesia takes swift action to clamp down on the illegal sale of the big cats' body parts across the Southeast Asian country, a conservation group warned Wednesday.

TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife trade monitoring network, said in a report that it found tiger bones, claws, skins and whiskers being sold openly in eight cities on Indonesia's Sumatra island in 2006, despite tough laws banning such trade.

The group estimated that 23 tigers had been killed to supply the parts found for sale in souvenir, Chinese medicine and jewelry stores. Prices ranged from the equivalent of US$14 for a tiger claw to about US$116 per kilogram of tiger bones.

"Surveys continue to show that Sumatran tigers are being sold body part by body part into xtinction," said a statement issued by Susan Lieberman, director of the species program for the conservation group WWF, which contributed to the report.

The Sumatran tiger, or Panthera tigris sumatrae, is the world's most critically endangered tiger subspecies - WWF estimates fewer than 400 remain in the wild in comparison to about 1,000 in the 1970s. The tigers' diminishing population is largely blamed on poaching and the destruction of their forest habitat for palm oil and wood pulp plantations.

"This is an enforcement crisis," Lieberman's statement said, adding that Indonesia needs to demonstrate it can cope with the crisis or ask for help from the international community.

Indonesia launched a 10-year plan to protect the Sumatran tiger in December last year. But conservationists complain that Indonesian commitments to preserving wildlife are rarely supported by enforcement measures.

"There is no effective enforcement on the ground," said Chris Shepherd, senior program officer for TRAFFIC, who has been tracking the Indonesian tiger trade for nearly 15 years. "It boils down to lack of resources. Wildlife crime isn't viewed as a high priority in Indonesia or anywhere in Southeast Asia."

Tonny Soehartono, the country's director for biodiversity conservation in the Ministry of Forestry, said efforts were being made to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade. He did not elaborate.

"I believe we have made significant progress," he said.

Climate change 'hurt RI rice production'

JAKARTA (JP): Prolonged droughts and flooding across Indonesia, due in part to climate change, are likely to cost the nation up to 1.6 million tons of rice per year, an official says.

Public Works Ministry's director general of water resources, Iwan Nursyiman, said at a seminar climate change could result in the loss of some 364,500 hectares of active paddy fields, equal to 919,300 tons of rice, due to flooding.

In early January, floods inundated thousands of hectares of land in several central rice producing areas of Java, the nation's main rice growing area, and Jambi. Floods caused more than 36,000 hectares of paddy to fail.

"Nationally, droughts are likely to destroy some 350,000 hectares of rice crops, equivalent to up to 700,000 tons of rice," he said.

The government is targeting a 5 percent increase in national rice production levels, from 58.18 million tons in 2007 to 61.08 million this year.

Iwan said climate change had affected annual rainfall patterns, causing longer dry seasons and shorter rainy seasons with higher intensity rainfall.

Besides climate change, Iwan said, falls in rice production are also being caused by the conversion of irrigated farmland for other purposes, particularly for industry.

Also speaking at the seminar was Rauf Purnama, former president director of PT ASEAN Aceh Fertilizer, who said that without integrated efforts from many related sectors, Indonesia's rice imports would increase, and by 2010 the country would be among the world's largest rice importers.

Indonesia imported 1.2 million tons of rice in 2007.(ndr)

Toll from flood in Situbondo rises to 11, transportation frozen

Wahyoe Boedwardhana and Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Situbondo, Kupang

The death toll from major flooding in the East Java city of Situbondo rose to 10 on Sunday, as authorities scrambled to assist victims and reroute traffic around the affected area.

Rain-triggered flooding has damaged Parengian Bridge in Panarukan district, about 4 kilometers from downtown Situbondo, paralyzing land transportation between the provincial capital Surabaya and Banyuwangi.

In addition to the 10 confirmed dead, one person is reported missing. About 1,700 houses have been destroyed and another 1,400 houses have suffered damage.

The dead have been identified as Akhma, 75; Amin Kholik, 55; Mahya, 65; Joyo, 70; Siya, 70; Sumo, 70; Misraya, 50; Jumadi, 65; Nasipah, 50; and Marwiyah, 50.

"The missing person has been identified as Imam, 60, Marwiyah's husband. He is said to have been swept away during the flooding," Solichin, head of the Situbondo Health Office, said.

Days of torrential rain caused the Sampeyan River, which runs through the heart of Situbondo, to burst its banks, causing massive flooding over the weekend.

The damage to Parengian Bridge, which was built in 1990, has forced officials to detour traffic between Surabaya and Banyuwangi to the south, through Probolinggo and Jember, the head of the East Java chapter of the Land Transportation Owners Association, Mustafa, said Sunday.

Mustafa said the detour forced drivers to travel an additional 80 kilometers. At least 200 buses pass through Situbondo on normal days, he said.

"The damaged sections of the bridge are being filled with sand and stone. Hopefully by tomorrow everything will be back to normal," said Yoyok Mulyadi, head of the Situbondo Public Works Office.

Most flood victims said they had yet to receive any assistance from the local administration. Many victims have been reduced to standing on the side of the road asking for handouts.

"We haven't gotten any help since yesterday. I need money to buy food as I haven't eaten since last night. All our belongings were swept away by the flood," said 9-year-old Tri Sutrisno.

In East Nusa Tenggara, four people have died in flooding caused by days of heavy rain.

Ten houses and nearly 1,000 hectares of paddy in the regencies of North Timor Tengah, Sikka, Kupang, Nagekeo and Belu have also been damaged, according to the local disaster mitigation office.

"The four victims were swept away when several nearby rivers overflowed," disaster office secretary Sentianus Medi said.

The four victims have been identified as Imelda Wea and Ros Firgina, both residents of Boawae district in Nagekeo; Marsina Bute, a resident of Tanowawo district in Sikka; and Lusia Iri, a resident of Wulanggitang district in East Flores.

Karel Yani Mbuik, a member of the East Nusa Tenggara Legislative Council, said deforestation on surrounding mountains played a role in the floods.

"The local administration has to speed up reforestation on the mountains and intensify supervision to prevent residents from illegally cutting down trees," he said.

Gloomy outlook seen for wood-based industries

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A lack of wood supplies continued to plague the country's wood-based industries last year.

According to a government-sanctioned agency tasked with rejuvenating the sector, no improvement is expected in the immediate future for the industry, which produces products such as plywood and wooden housing fixtures like window and door frames.

Zulfikal Adil, executive director of the Forestry Industry Revitalization Agency (BRIK), told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that wood-related industries are expected to remain in the doldrums this year.

"In 2007, only 700 of the approximately 2,000 registered companies in the wood-working subsector managed to export their products. This is about a hundred less than in 2006," said Zulfikal.

For plywood, only 40 percent of the 120 registered companies maintained operations, he said.

"Judging from those figures, I am very pessimistic about the forestry industry in 2008. It will be worse than last year," BRIK chairwoman Soewarni said.

Soewarni said Indonesia lost at least US$400 million in potential export revenue from the plywood and wood-work subsectors alone.

"Total plywood exports last year were valued at $1.3 billion, compared to $1.6 in 2006. Wood-working exports were $1.2 billion compared with $1.3 billion in 2006," she said.

Other wood-related subsectors include pulp and paper, furniture and handicrafts.

Soewarni said wood-based industries had been on the decline since 2005 due to a lack of raw materials. The industry reached its peak in 1997.

The policy of maintaining a maximum quota for wood cutting and the introduction of tighter wood legality requirements have contributed to the shortage, she said.

In 2007, the country produced around 44 million cubic meters of wood, while the annual domestic demand was 62 million cubic meters.

"In 2006, around 30,000 workers from a number of wood producers in South Kalimantan and around 20,000 in West Kalimantan were laid off. Although the number of people whose contracts were terminated in 2007 was much lower, the industry has continued to decline," she said.

"Other factors hampering the growth of the industry include rising fuel costs, access to transportation and legal uncertainty," she said.

According to the Forestry Ministry, the country's forestry industry currently employs about 3.8 million workers. Logging by many pulp and paper firms and their suppliers in Riau province has been halted, leaving the country's two biggest pulp and paper companies, PT Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper (IKPP) and PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), seriously short of raw materials.

Representatives of PT IKPP and PT RAPP said that with raw materials running out, they might be forced to lay off most of their 550,000 employees by the end of 2007.

RAPP president director Rudi Fajar said that raw materials were available but the police had prohibited their use, saying the materials had not yet passed legal requirements.

Soy M. Pardede of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) blamed the government's lack of foresight in anticipating the current problems.

"The re-planting program should have been done earlier to avoid lack of raw materials," he told the Post. (rff)

Karinda Garden encourages household composting

Ani Suswantoro, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Lebak Bulus, S. Jakarta

On a Saturday morning in early January, Sri Murniati, 63, a former Health Ministry official in East Java, spoke on compost making to a group of participants at a workshop. Her husband, Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, 72, who was forestry minister from 1993-1998, accompanied her.

The training workshop was conducted in an open, thatched-roof hut in their nursery, where birds sang and the breeze blew. The couple's nursery, Karinda Garden, is in the Bumi Karang Indah housing complex of Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, where they sell medicinal plants, flowers, seedlings and of course, compost.

The lush Karinda Garden, where flowers bloom year-round, is testament to the benefits of fertilizing with compost. In the background is the Djamaludin residence. (JP/Ani Suswantoro)

"In big city like Jakarta, with more than 12 million inhabitants, waste management is very crucial. It is not the government's responsibility alone, but ours as well," Murniati told the participants.

"Roughly, Jakarta waste is 65 percent organic, 25 percent recyclable and 10 percent dangerous and poisonous waste. If we can take care of our organic waste, the government's burden will be lighter. The money allocated to treat waste can be used for other purposes," she said.

Murniati has heard various reasons people have given as to why they do not compost: that they are too busy,disgusting, they already pay for waste collection and that they can buy compost instead of making it.

"However, the main point is concern for the environment," she stressed.

When this theory segment was over, Djamaludin escorted the participants to inspect the phases of composting.

"Correct composting will not create a foul odor at all, but will smell like the original material (fresh soil)," he said.

"We have filled this nursery with flowers, so that it will look colorful to impress visitors and to show them that composting does not mean an ugly, disgusting job, but an easy and valuable activity," Djamaludin told this writer after the course.

The Djamaludins moved in 2000 to the Karang Tengah area of Lebak Bulus, where they were disappointed to discover that quality compost for their gardening was unavailable. There, they also observed that vegetable hawkers discarded much organic waste, and were thus prompted to try composting themselves.

The couple researched information on effective and efficient composting until they stumbled across the Takakura Magic Basket, created by Japanese-born Koji Takakura.

Since then, the environmentally conscious couple have shared their experience with others, in the hope that they also would compost to care for the environment.

To date, more than 4,000 participants, ranging from kindergartners to professionals from various institutions, have participated in their biweekly composting workshop.

"I am very happy when, upon completing the workshop, people really start practicing what they have learned. I sometimes call them to check their progress," said Murniati, to which her husband Djamaludin responded by smiling and nodding in agreement.

For more information and to arrange a composting workshop with the Djamaludins, phone (021) 75909167.

Simple steps to composting

Facts

1. Takakura composting utilizes aerobic microbes, which need water, oxygen and correct temperature; frequent mixing helps supply oxygen.
2. Correct composting generates warmth and moisture when mixed.
3. Microbes need carbon-rich materials -- dry, coarse, rich in fiber and are brown in color (dry leaves, dry grass, rice hull, corn husks, sawdust, straw) -- as energy source
4. Microbes need nitrogen-rich materials -- have high water content and usually are green (vegetables, fruits, kitchen waste, egg shells, used tea leaves, coffee grinds) -- to propagate
5. One part brown material mixed with two parts green make the best compost
6. Correct compost smells like healthy soil

Takakura composting

1. Prepare Takakura Magic Basket
2. Use mature compost (6-8 kg) as compost starter
3. Cut small pieces (2 x 2 cm) of organic waste (fruit peels, egg shells, garden and kitchen leaves, rice, vegetables); discard broth in food for composting; do not use bones, shrimp or leftover meats/animal products in compost -- they attract flies
4. Make a well in the starter, put in waste in and mix
5. Cover basket to warm mixture and prevent flies from laying eggs
6. Optimum humidity is achieved when compost mixture is damp, but produces no dripping water when squeezed. Add rice hull or dry leaves if compost is watery, or sprinkle on a little water if compost is dry.
7. Stir regularly 2-3 times a week. Do not add more waste to a full basket -- remove the mixture to a bigger composter to add waste.
8. Compost is ripe when its temperature, appearance and smell resemble soil: in about eight weeks

Tips

1. Get the entire family involved
2. Put a pair of scissors on the dining table and get everyone to cut up their share of waste
3. Place Takakura baskets in several strategic areas in/around the house; those who enter the area are responsible for mixing the compost

-- Ani Suswantoro

Humboldt Penguins arrive at Taman Safari Indonesia

Cisarua, Bogor (ANTARA News) - The rare Humboldt Penguin (Speheniscus Humboldti) can now be seen at Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI), Cisarua, Bogor, West Java.

Six pairs of the animal arrived at TSI on February 2,2008 from Tokyo`s Sea Life Park, Japan, to be saved from extinction.

TSI spokesperson Yulius Suprihardo said the animals, aged between 10 and 13 years, had been placed in a special pond and cage.

Their new home was equipped with a temperature controlling system and a device to maintain the salinity level of the water in the pond in order to emulate their natural habitat near the South Pole.

TSI would feed the penguins "teri" and "japuh" fish.

Native to South American, the 12 penguins still need to be quarantined under the supervision of TSI`s medical team, consisting of Tokyo veterinarian Hiroshi Takeuchi and the head of TSI`s nursing department, Imam.

Yulius said the animals were in a reproductive phase and expected to breed at TSI.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) reported that human activity had caused a drastic decrease in the Humboldt penguin population and the species was now on the brink of extinction. Only 12,000 Humboldt penguins are now left in their natural habitat.

The animals reproduce by laying eggs in holes in the ground for an incubation period of 40-42 days.

Their natural habitats lie along the Pacific coasts of South America, close to the South Pole.

The species can dive to depths of 60 to 150 meters at a speed of 14 km per hour to catch prey.

Icon of Singapore Zoo dies

www.iol.co.za

Ah Meng, the orangutan hailed as an icon at Singapore Zoo and who featured in 30 films, died Friday at the age of 48, officials said.

The zoo plans to hold a memorial service for the renowned primate on Sunday. The cause of death was old age, the zoo said.

"We mourn the passing of Ah Meng," said Fanny Lai, head of a wildlife organization, citing the orangutan's "contributions in helping promote awareness of how each of us can play a role in conservation matters."

Originally from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, Ah Meng was confiscated in 1971 from a Chinese family illegally keeping her as a pet. She lived at the zoo since then.

The first to host the zoo's Breakfast with an Oranutan programme, she became a celebrity both locally and internationally. While visitors ate their breakfasts, Ah Meng enjoyed her favourite fruits and delicacies while captivating them with her antics.

Among the various luminaries to meet her was Britain's Prince Philip and singer Michael Jackson.

Zoo curator Alagappasany expressed his sadness over her death and recalled how glad he was "to have had the opportunity to take care of Ah Meng and her family all these years."

She was featured in more than 30 travel films and received a special award from the Singapore Tourism Board in 1992 in recognition for her contribution towards tourism in the city-state.

Ah Meng also contributed to the zoo's breeding programme. She had five children and became a grandmother in 1990. - Sapa-dpa

Endangered species seized in Jatinegara

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post) : In a joint raid with several wildlife organizations, the Jakarta Police seized 15 protected endangered species from Jatinegara market in East Jakarta.

Two traders, Agus Sobari and Sarwo, were arrested and the animals handed over to the Animal Rescue Center Tegal Alur.

The protected species consisted of two leopards, eight slow lorises, two Malayan porcupines, one otter civet and two black-winged cats. Some were reportedly in poor health.

"The traders violated the 1990 law on natural resources and the ecosystem," executive director of the Institute of Animal Advocacy Irma Hermawati said in a press statement.

ProFauna Indonesia chairman Rosek Nursahid suggested seizures like this one in Jatinegara be conducted in other animal markets in Surabaya, which was still selling protected wildlife freely.

Apple farmers go organic to restore soil fertility

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Kota Batu, East Java

Apple farmer Jamari thought he would never be able to enjoy a good harvest from his farm ever again.

Until several years back, most of his 250 apple trees in Bumiaji village, Kota Batu, East Java, were fruitless. If any fruit did grow, it was usually smaller and bad for the market.

"I didn't know what to do to mend the situation. Using more chemical fertilizers did not work either," said the 50-year-old farmer.

Just when he was about to give up, a team from Muslim organization Muhammadiyah's community empowerment body (MPM) and Malang-based Muhammadiyah University's community service unit (LPM-UMM) came to the village with a solution.

The solution, he said, made sense and the farmers did not have to spend a large amount of money, nor were they required to replace their trees.

The farmers were advised to restore soil fertility by using home-made organic fertilizers to stimulate plant growth using a MPM-made liquid organic fertilizer.

At first, Jamari and the other farmers thought the solution made no sense, especially since they had been using chemical fertilizers for so long.

But Jamari's curiosity got the better of him. He finally decided to join some of the other farmers who were willing to apply the newly introduced way of cultivating apples.

The farmers were asked to prepare organic fertilizer, locally called pupuk kocor; referring to the way the fertilizer is applied -- by pouring it on the field. Kocor is a Javanese word that literally means "to pour".

The fertilizer is a blend of MPM-made liquid organic fertilizer, which is similar to that sprayed on plants to stimulate fruit growth, as well as a self-grown microorganism and manure.

"For this fertilizer, I don't even need to buy the manure as I have 11 goats and about 100 rabbits at home," Jamari said.

After five months of applying both the sprayed fertilizers and pupuk kocor, Jamari could see for himself that his previously fruitless plants were starting to bear fruit.

Proudly, he pointed to another apple farm right next to his where most of the trees were leafless and dying.

"The trees on my farm used to look like the ones over there," he said.

"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), I finally decided to join the program and I can now enjoy a good harvest again. A much better harvest, in fact."

He said by going organic, he now spends less money on fertilizers. Previously, he needed to buy at least 100 kilograms of chemical fertilizers every six months, at a cost of Rp 3,000 per kg.

He also had to buy pesticides, which cost another Rp 20,000 every six months.

These days, Jamari does not need chemical pesticides, as he uses an organic pesticide made from ingredients available in his neighborhood.

In terms of the harvest, Jamari said he couldn't be happier, with the yield more than doubling previous harvests.

Prior to using organic fertilizers and pesticides, Jamari was able to yield around 300 kg of apples per harvest. Currently, he can collect up to 700 kg.

"The apples are bigger than before. More importantly, as I have been told, the apples we produce now are also healthier as they are free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides."

MPM's agricultural consultant, Syafii Latuconsina, said aside from boosting output and producing healthier apples, the organic farming program was also aimed at restoring soil fertility.

However, as chemical fertilizers have been used in the area for so long, five years or so may be required before the region is completely free from chemical fertilizer and pesticide residue.

"The long-term use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in high-cost agricultural activities as well as damage to soil fertility," said Sujono, head of LPM-UMM.

Coordinator of the agricultural supervisors of Kota Batu's Agriculture Office, Nur Kamarullah, said a breakthrough was needed to remedy the decrease in the production of apples in the region.

Dubbed the City of Apples, he said, Kota Batu's apple production rate is now at the alarming level of only 10 to 20 tons per hectare annually.

This figure is far below the production rate reached during the 1980s, which was between 40 to 60 tons of apples per hectare annually.

"This is concerning because of some 6,000 hectares of Kota Batu's total agricultural fields, 2,000 hectares are apple farms," Nur said.

He warmly welcomed MPM and LPM-UMM's efforts and expressed readiness to introduce the program to more apple farmers in the region in a hope to prevent the city from losing its famous nickname.

MPM's head, Said Tuhulely, said his organization wanted to offer the farmers assistance to help change their mind-set.

The programs main aims include; reducing production costs, improving the quality and quantity of the products and restoring soil fertility.

Said added the farmers had been too dependent on chemical fertilizers and used uncontrolled amounts, causing an unnecessary increase in production costs and significant damage to the soil.

"We realized this would not be an easy task. Yet, we believed that once the farmers saw for themselves they could be more successful once they implemented a healthier way of farming, they would surely join in," he said.

World market fuels deforestation

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Efforts to curb deforestation will not work if rich nations fail to control their wood consumption, forest watchdog Greenomics Indonesia has warned.

Greenomics director Elfian Effendi said Thursday that high demand for wood products mostly from the United States, European Union and Japan had given a boost to deforestation in the world's tropical nations, including Indonesia.

"The rich nations often blame us for the speedy deforestation rate. They seem unaware that their consumption contributes much to the deforestation," Elfian said.

Greenomics was commenting on the latest report on the wood market between 2004 and 2007 from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report said the U.S., the EU and Japan were the world's three largest importers of wood products, amounting to US$71.2 billion per year. The U.S. alone spent $23.3 billion per year on wood products, while the EU $13.2 billion and Japan $11.8 billion.

According to Elfian, China and Malaysia are the world's biggest exporters of wood products, with material coming mainly from Indonesia in the form of illegally cut logs.

"It means deforestation in our country is linked to export-import transactions of wood products to rich nations," he said.

Indonesia is home to 120 million hectares of tropical forest, the world's third largest after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Between 1985 and 1997, deforestation occurred at a rate of 1.8 million hectares per year. It rose to 2.8 million hectares per year until 2000, but slowed between 2000 and 2006 to 1.08 million hectares per year.

The government has said that carbon trading and the reduction of emissions from deforestation in developing countries will significantly reduce the deforestation rate.

Elfian said, however, the schemes would not work unless rich countries tightened their control over the sources of wood products.

According to FAO data, Malaysia is the biggest exporter of logs with 5 million cubic meters per year.

"Malaysia exported about 20 million cubic meters in the period of 2004 to 2007. It meant denuded forests reached 303,000 hectares," he said.

Malaysia is also the second biggest exporter of sawn wood, with 3 million cubic meters annually.

"In line with the UN data, deforestation in Malaysia should cover 730,000 ha from 2004 to 2007, which is 11 times Singapore's area," he said.

He said Malaysia was the main exporter of wood products, including logs, to China. The world's most populous country is the world's top importer of logs from tropical countries with 7 million cubic meters per year.

China also imported 2.5 millions cubic meters of sawn wood between 2004 and 2007.

Japan and the United State are the top importers of plywood, reaching 3.5 million cubic meters and 1.5 million respectively.

"The two countries imported about 10 million cubic meters of tropical plywood from 2004 to 2007. Indonesia must learn from the export-import data," he said.

Tarakan home to RI's only city mangrove

Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Tarakan

Tarakan in East Kalimantan is home to the Mangrove and Bekantan Conservation Area (KKMB), believed to be the only mangrove forest located in a city center in Indonesia, if not the world. It is situated on Jl. Gajah Mada, adjacent to downtown Gusher Plaza.

The 9-hectare mangrove park is home to 45 rare proboscis monkeys, 11 species of mangrove, hundreds of black and gray monkeys, otters, rare Bondol eagles and a vast range of other flora and fauna.

"Its location in the heart of the city expedites the learning and research process. Generally, mangrove forests are located along the coast, so much so that a study or research group must rent boats to reach the location. This place is easily reached overland. You just have to take a ride on a public minivan to reach it," said KKMB field coordinator Dullah Kadir.

The entrance fee to the park is only Rp 2,000 (20 U.S. cents) for an adult and Rp 1,000 for a child. Earnings from ticket sales are set aside for environmental causes.

Visitors can also use the service of a guide for Rp 20,000 per hour. "The mangrove park is usually full of visitors, especially parents and their children on weekends," said Kadir.

Visitors can walk around the park by means of a boardwalk that encircles the park at 2.4 kilometers long and 80 centimeters wide.

Encounters with animals are common. Despite the timid nature of the proboscis monkeys, or bekantan, it is not unusual to be able to get within five meters of them. Black and gray monkeys, or lutung, are more used to humans and can be approached by visitors up to a meter.

They roam freely on the boardwalk, in the trees and on the ground, where they look for small fish or crabs.

"Black monkeys are the most agile in searching for crabs," said a security guard, Syamsul.

There were initially 47 bekantan in the park, but two of them died due to old age.

An adult male bekantan can weigh up to 20 kilograms, while adult females weigh around 10 kilos.

Bekantan are protected under the 1990 law on natural resources conservation and ecosystems.

Physically, a bekantan is different from other primates, in that it has special features, such as a long orange pendulous nose, reddish orange head and back, light orange shoulders, cheeks and neck and grayish white feet, tail and stomach.

The bekantan, which are endemic to Kalimantan, survive on mangrove shoots and blooms, and occasionally descend to the ground in search of crabs.

"Bekantan are deft in finding crabs by using their tails to lure them out and later catch them with their hands," said Kadir.

Bekantan breed in mangrove swamps, river rain forests, peat moss swamps and coastal forests. They are sensitive and vulnerable animals, so much so they breed slower than the black monkey.

Visiting hours at the mangrove park are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park also offers a 16-meter observation tower, from the top of which visitors can see the sea to the west, the densely packed coastal communities, Tarakan city and the spread of dense and green mangrove trees.

"The place is mesmerizing," Tarakan City Secretary H. Jusuf told The Jakarta Post.

The city plans to expand the park by taking over an adjacent 13 hectares of land, and is currently building a 30-meter steel tower in the park.

"We initially intended to build houses on the 13 hectares but I was amazed to see the mangrove trees grow so well, so I immediately submitted a proposal to the municipal council to include the area as an expansion of the conservation area. The area, which has been extended to 22 hectares, is crucial because it acts as the lungs of the city," said Jusuf.

49,000 ha of illegal palm oil plantations to be slashed in Riau

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

The government will slash some 49,000 hectares of illegal palm oil plantations in protected forest areas in Rokan Hulu regency, Riau, allowing forests to reclaim cleared land, an official said Wednesday.

Rokan Hulu regent Achmad said the oil palms in the protected forest area, in Sungai Mahato and Bukit Sugili, would be destroyed because the plantation was developed without authorization.

Conversion of protected forest into oil palm plantation and illegal logging practices have been rampant, he said, but no steps have been taken yet to stop perpetrators or plantation "owners".

"The public has to pay high costs for the illegal conversion of land, with the shrinking of water catchment areas which ends up causing flooding each year in the regency," he said.

"The rampant land conversion has also led to frequent attacks from protected animals, like elephants and Sumatran tigers, on locals and their farmland, after losing their habitat in protected forests," he said.

Achmad, who is still seven months in his tenure, said the reforestation program would be financed by the 2008 state budget, and supervised by relevant authorities to avoid financial malfeasance.

He said any farmers refusing to leave the protected area would be prosecuted because they would be breaking the 2004 law on the environment.

It was tragic that most of the 32,000-ha Sungai Mahato forests and 31,000 Bukit Sugili forests had been cleared for plantations, which meant (protected) wildlife was forced to seek refuge in other forests nearby, Achmad said.

Meanwhile, local activists have expressed their skepticism over the local government's commitment to regenerate the forest, saying the move would meet strong protests and resistance from local farmers.

Tropica non-government organization executive director Harizal Jalil said if the regent could execute the plan, it could be the first step toward regreening vast areas of barren land inside protected forests and national parks in the province.

"The problem is whether the plan gets executed or not. A strong commitment is needed from all sides to do this," he said.

Executive director of the Environmental Forum in Riau, Jhony Setiawan Mundung, said a national movement was needed to support the reforestation of 300,000 hectares of cleared forests in the province.

"We are very eager to see if the regent can execute the plan, or if he is just talking," he said.

The chief of palm oil affairs at the local plantation office, Hanafi, said he was pessimistic at the success of the plan because 8,000 farmers who worked on the plantation would stage a strong protest if the regent goes ahead.

He said his office had never issued any permit to farmers to plant oil palm trees in protected areas.

Psychics predict an explosive year

Ary Hermawan and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Surabaya

Last year was the Year of the Pig, which, we were told, would bring all sort of calamities, and so it did. But now, with the advent of the Year of the Earth (or possibly Fire) Rat, we can say good-bye to floods and storms, and look forward instead to fires, drought, and possibly a volcanic eruption.

Feng shui practitioners and soothsayers have predicted that cataclysmic events will mark the course of the Year of the Rat, which begins on Feb. 7 in the Gregorian calendar.

"The mounts of Anak Krakatau, Merapi and Kelud, which last year did not generate a relatively huge explosion, may spew their infernal lava this year," Jakarta-based feng shui expert Master Tan told The Jakarta Post, placing the eruptions between March and August.

"To tell you the truth, I am so worried about these three volcanos... I hope this time my prediction misses."

While mainstream Chinese astrology lists this year as an "Earth" year, Master Tan says it is a fire year, combining the sky element with its positive soil and the earth element with its positive water, producing "fire thunder".

Surabaya-based feng shui practitioner Putri Wong Kam Fu has had the same vision of the three volcanoes.

"I don't know when they will erupt. But if we all repent, they will not explode as a volcanic eruption is actually an admonition of us humans," she said.

The positive soil of the sky element will take the form of dried out and infertile soil, triggering water scarcities and extreme drought, particularly for people living on the Equator.

"The dry season will start in April and May. Certain regions may suffer from a drought that could cause famine," Master Tan said.

The Fire Rat is also seen as posing a threat to warehouses and other combustible assets and business people are warned to be cautious.

"But it is a good year for investors and investment brokers in the capital market. Overall, the national economy is good and gives investors enough confidence," Master Tan said.

Politics will be less rowdy than last year as the wood element, which symbolizes politicians, does not float up in the Fire Rat year.

"They (the politicians) may appear to be quiet on the surface but they are scheming their dirty tricks.... Graft allegations by politicians to knock down their rivals will be one of the tricks since in a Fire Rat year, corruption may worsen," Master Tan said.

But Wong Kam Fu divined a great political upheaval would occur by the end of 2008.

"According to the book of divination (primbon), there will be a leader who will break his promise to his people, who suffer from hunger. Is this leader SBY? I don't know," she said, referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Dutch-born soothsayer Mama Lauren has also predicted a year of disasters and agreed with her colleagues on the subject of volcanic eruptions.

She does have some good news -- Indonesian scientists will find a cure for HIV/AIDS -- but a new mysterious disease will start killing animals.

The celebrity world is also not free from drama. Master Tan foresees the careers of several celebrities crumbling, while Mama Lauren says that a female and two male stars will die.

Lack of incentives leaves local chocolate industry struggling

Novia D. Rulistia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Silver Queen and Beng Beng are among the few locally produced chocolate bars that have gained any kind of following with Indonesians, while other local brands have ceased to exist or struggle simply to survive.

As the world's third largest producer of cacao beans, it is ironic that there are no Indonesian chocolate brands able to compete with high-profile brands such as Cadbury of Britain or Hershey's of the U.S., whose home countries do not have cacao plantations.

Local cocoa and chocolate associations blame the absence of incentives for local farmers to produce fermented cocoa beans as the primary reason behind the failure to develop the country's downstream chocolate industry.

"The reason (for the underdeveloped local chocolate industry) is that most beans harvested here are not fermented," chairman of the Indonesian Cocoa and Chocolate Entrepreneurs Organization, Sonny Satari, told The Jakarta Post recently.

"Farmers choose to sell their beans directly after harvest without fermenting them first because the process requires more effort and time, while the difference in price with unfermented beans is not that high," he said.

In the process of making chocolate, cacao beans must first undergo fermentation before drying in order to create the special aroma of chocolate.

"Fermented cocoa beans have a higher added value in the market because they have better quality," Sonny said.

Indonesia Cocoa Association (Askindo) chairman Halim Razak said the difference between the price of fermented and non-fermented beans was around Rp 1,500 (15 U.S. cents) per kilogram.

He said that of the total domestic cacao output of around 520,000 tons last year, only 5 percent was fermented.

The limited availability of fermented beans has forced chocolate companies to import cacao beans of good quality.

Askindo secretary-general Zulhefi Sikumbang said that besides the lack of fermented beans, local chocolate producers, most of which make semi-processed products, also faced problems in developing their brands.

Semi-processed products include cocoa butter and powder, while fully processed products usually comprise chocolate bars and candy.

The domination by large multinational manufacturers of fully processed chocolate products is another factor discouraging local producers from competing head-to-head in the local chocolate bar or candy business.

"It's like committing suicide if semi-processed chocolate producers jump directly into the manufacturing of fully processed products because brand image still comes into play," said Zulhefi.

He added that the outdated machinery operated by local producers hampered innovation in the industry.

Only a few locally made chocolate bars have managed to become favorites among Indonesians. Most people here tend to eat chocolate manufactured by international brands, including products made from cacao beans imported from Indonesia.

Zulhefi predicted that in 2008 there would be no new domestic producers of fully processed chocolate, partly because of low chocolate consumption at home despite the abundant stock of cacao beans.

According to Askindo, Indonesia's chocolate consumption is just 0.6 kilograms per capita per year, far lower than 16 kilograms per capita per year in Europe.

The association said the country's cocoa consumption reached 220,000 tons last year.

Zulhefi said that of the 14 chocolate companies in Indonesia, only three make fully processed products.

Rully Junaidi, corporate secretary of PT Davomas Abadi, Indonesia's second biggest chocolate company, said the firm would continue focusing on semi-processed products due to high demand on the international market.

Semi-processed products are also used as intermediaries for making fully processed chocolate.

Rully said the firm exported cocoa butter and powder to countries in Europe and the United States at US$6,000 per ton. That price is far higher than the raw bean price of around $2,000 per ton.

According to Askindo, Indonesia is the third largest producer of cacao beans in the world, with total production of around 560,000 tons a year. It trails only the Ivory Coast, which produces around 1.3 million tons, and Ghana with around 700,000 tons.

Askindo reported that Indonesia saw an 11.8 percent decrease in cacao beans production in 2007 to 520,000 tons from 590,000 tons in 2006, due to the late arrival of the rainy season which hurt the harvest.

It saw an even steeper decline of 38.7 percent in exports to around 300,000 tons last year from around 490,000 in 2006. The three main destination countries for Indonesia's cacao beans were Malaysia, the United States and Brazil.

Halim said the poor skills of farmers meant Indonesia's cacao yield was a low 0.7 tons per hectare.

He said ideally Indonesia should produce 2.5 tons per hectare per year from its almost one million hectares of cacao plantations.

"But there have been several training programs for farmers regarding proper planting systems, so I hope this year's harvest can increase to 590,000 tons," Halim told the Post.

He said increasing cocoa production was important to take advantage of the rising prices for the commodity.

Prices rose to $2,100 per ton this week from around $1,600 per ton in January last year, as demand continues to outstrip supply, he said.

Global demand for cocoa was increasing by around 3.5 percent per annum while supply was rising by only 2.5 percent, he said.(ndr)

Govt adds Rp1 trillion to budget allocation for agriculture

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono said the government had allocated Rp1 trillion more in state budget funds for agricultural development.

The funds will particularly be spent on procurements of paddy, corn and soybean seeds, organic fertilizers, and pesticides, the minister said here on Saturday when speaking at the 38th anniversary of the Plantation Education Institute (LPP).

"However, most of the funds will be allocated for soybean because consumers want soybean at affordable prices, although farmers want a proper price," he said.

The government would help intensify soybean production by farmers and also assist them in marketing their produce, he said.

President discusses food problems with businessmen

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a meeting with a number of national food businessmen to discuss the problems of food prices and basic needs at the State Palace on Wednesday evening.

About 30 food business association chairmen sat together with a number of cabinet ministers and Presidential Advisory Council members at the meeting also attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

In his remarks opening the meeting, the President said the discussion was expected to yield clarifications on the upward trend in food prices and declines in food stocks that had happened lately.

The chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), MS Hidayat, said before the meeting he would propose to the government to use the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) as a buffer for farmers` rice prices in order to encourage farmers to cultivate three principal crops, namely rice, maize and soybean.

Kadin, he said, would also propose that farmers who planted the three crops be provided with fertilizers free of charge, subsidized seedlings and easy access to bank credit facilities.

"The government should also allow investors to invest in the cultivation of basic food crops in selected agricultural areas with the obligation to achieve certain production targets," Hidayat said.

Ministers attending the meeting included Economic Affairs Coordinating Minister Boediono, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, People`s Welfare Coordinating Minister Aburizal Bakrie, Industry Minister Fahmi Idris, Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, Cooperatives Minister Suryadarma Ali, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil.

Regional ordinances in Java still not eco-friendly: study

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Over two-thirds of 278 existing regional ordinances across Java island are not eco-friendly, allowing locals to exploit natural resources without environmental controls, a study has said.

The 2007 study, conducted by Hariadi Kartodiharjo of the office of the coordinating minister for the economy, found most local authorities issued ordinances focused on raising cash for their budgets.

"The ordinances are oriented mainly on business permits, tax and the use of natural resources, without examining environmental limits," he said.

It said 60 percent of the reviewed ordinances did not calculate environmental impacts from exploitation activities of natural resources.

"The regional ordinances did not examine impacts on water resources or the maximum limit of water that could be drilled," he said.

The study also checked whether local administrations had used public or non-governmental organizations to enforce the ordinances.

"Most of 'exploitative' ordinances don't involve the public and activists," he said.

The study will be presented to the coordinating minister for the economy Feb. 21.

A year earlier, Hariadi reviewed 109 ordinances, about 60 percent of which were deemed not eco-friendly.

"I think the government should formulate standards of the ordinances that also would protect the environment," he said.

Many criticized the regional ordinances for creating a high cost economy that disrupted the business climate.

"The Home Affairs Ministry has annulled thousands of regional ordinances that violated the (higher) law and caused a high cost economy," he said.

"But the office has yet to review the impacts of ordinances on environmental conditions," he added.

Hariadi, who is also chairman of the National Forestry Council, said the regional ordinances could play a crucial role in protecting the environment, particularly in the aftermath of regional autonomy.

The autonomy law gives power to local administrations to manage their areas and raise money for their budgets.

A series of natural disasters, including floods, landslides and drought hit the country every year.

Experts predicted natural disasters would become increasingly common due to the poor land-use management across the country.

"We often hear high-ranking officials order the people to plant more trees in response to natural disasters.... It seems very easy but they forget they are facing ordinances which are not pro-environment," he said.

A study by the state minister for the environment previously indicated Java was the area most prone to water-related disasters. It said 603 areas in East Java, 531 in Central Java and 430 in West Java were very vulnerable to floods and landslides.

West Java experienced 77 landslides between 2003 and 2005, killing 166 people.

Hariadi said he would also analyze regional ordinances related to the country's forestry sector this year.

The National Forestry Council and the Nature Conservancy (TNC) signed a memorandum of understanding to promote good governance and policy in the forest sector.

The TNC said by 2015 it would work with 180 forest concessions (HPH), mainly in Kalimantan, Papua and Sulawesi, to promote effective forest conservation.

"We have so far cooperated with nine HPH holders to promote forest conservation," TNC country director Rili Djohani said.

Furniture companies seek wood certification

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government and furniture associations have begun to promote wood certification in response to a movement among many global buyers to procure products derived only from legally cut logs.

"Recently, we received massive orders for window and doorframes from abroad and we had difficulty in finding companies with wood certification after the buyers asked for it," Ali Imron, an official with the Export Development Agency (Nafed) at the Trade Ministry, said Thursday.

Wood certification, usually performed by internationally recognized agencies, gives assurance to buyers that the products are derived from sustainable forests and not from illegal logging, which is common in Indonesia.

Ambar Tjahyono, chairman of the Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Association (Asmindo), said certification would help the industry by improving its competitiveness in the global market.

"We should gear up to catch up with wood certification if we do not want to lose our potential market.

"I believe certification will support the export growth of the furniture industry in Indonesia because it will raise the country's competitiveness and widen potential global markets," said Ambar.

He said many potential buyers, especially from Europe and the U.S., now required certificates guaranteeing the legality and sustainability of the source forests for their wood.

"We should catch up with their demand to keep and expand our global market," he said, adding that certification would also prove the country's willingness to combat illegal logging.

Asmindo estimated that Indonesia's exports of wooden furniture last year reached around US$897 million, or a some 10 percent increase from $816.03 million the previous year.

Certification refers to Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) and Chain of Custody (CoC). The VLO and CoC prove the legality of the wood, while the SFM certifies the wood was legally felled and came from a sustainable forest.

An exporter can choose either of the three certificates.

Ambar said only a few of some 2,000 exporters under his association already obtained certification.

Dini Rahim is a regional manager at Senada, a four-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that hopes to improve the competitiveness of manufacturing industries in Indonesia.

She said that producers equipped with the CoC or VLO had more bargaining power because their products were from legally cut trees.

She said it was normal practice now for furniture producers with a wood certificate to raise their products' prices by up to 30 percent.

Dini said that four out of 40 furniture and handicraft companies that her office assisted had successfully received VLO certification from Technischer Uberwachungs-Verein (TUV) Rheinland.

A project manager at TUVRheinland, Cecep Saepulloh, said an SFM or CoC certificate is valid for five years, and the VLO for three years. He said each certificate cost Rp 10 million to Rp 30 million (US$1,075 to $3,225). (ind)

Floods inundate hundreds of houses in Padang, W Sumatra

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Hundreds of houses in Lubuk Buaya Padang, West Sumatra, were inundated due to incessant rains since Thursday.

The floodwaters reached a height of up to one meter in some residential areas but local residents did not flee their homes.

Rusdiman, a resident of Jambak kampong, said here on Friday that his village was hit by floods at least three times a year.

"The current flooding is the first this year, and it`s considered safe because it reached a height of just one meter. Besides, it has started to subside," he said.

The previous flood reaching a height of up to three meters on December 25, 2007 inundated thousands of houses and farming areas, he said.

Local people had called on the government to build a dam in Batang Kandih river to minimize the impact of flooding, he said.