Seven mangrove forests Indonesia became a pilot in ASEAN, even though less than half the region, in a damaged condition. Need not be difficult to find for example, because the north coast of Jakarta is up converted into an elite residential location.
"More than half the mangrove forests are destroyed, the rest is good and being. However, 70 percent of the damage was outside the forest area and only 28 percent occurred in the forest area," said Director of the Directorate General of Forest and Land Rehabilitation BPDAS and PS Ministry of Forestry, Billy Indra, here on Tuesday.
Based on the results of the ministry's survey in 2006, Indonesia has the largest area of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia, amounting to 7.7 million hectares. But when re-surveyed last year, mangrove forests in Indonesia is in good condition only 3.6 million hectares, the rest in damaged condition and being.
Destruction of mangrove forests, he said, caused the conversion of mangrove forests to plantations, aquaculture, and economic development (houses, rice fields) and logging as well as natural disasters.
In fact, according to him, the economic value that can be obtained from the conservation of mangrove per hectare is quite high. If everything dirupiahkan, its value reached Rp1, 6 billion per ha per year.
To repair the damaged mangroves, Billy said, each year carried out the rehabilitation of 10,000 hectares of mangrove forest. In addition, the Budget also budgeted to build a nursery people (KBR).
In the year 2011, is budgeted to make 10,000 units of KBR that can produce 500 million stems of mangrove plants. "In 2010 only 8,000 units of KBR, whereas in the next year will be built 12,000 units," he said.
According to the Head of Mangrove Forest Management Region I Denpasar, Sasmitohadi, not just mangrove forests have ecological functions. When mangroves damaged, according to him, could certainly be the economic downturn drastically.
"If the mangroves disappear, incomes decline. If the mangrove re-intensified into a high catch of fishermen," he said.
Sasmitohadi pointed out, the income groups in society Bedul Alas Purwo mangrove forest ecotourism sector ranged from Rp70 million per month. In certain seasons, earning this group of people can even reach Rp100 million per month.
Ecotourism activities in mangrove areas Alas Purwo - managed society, said Sasmitohadi, were touring the mangrove forests, attractions boating, fishing in the mangrove forests, and environmental education.
Meanwhile, Head of Sub Directorate of Forest Rehabilitation Mengrove, Beach, and Peat Swamp, Eko Warsito, said he was optimistic Indonesia mangrove forests will experience improvement.
He estimates that, in a survey conducted every five years there will be an additional of 200,000 hectares of mangrove forest in good condition.
Warsito explained that included in the category of mangrove plants are plants that can grow in water mud-textured soil.
Meanwhile, continued Warsito, the criteria of good mangrove forest is a forest covered more than 1,000 stems per hectare of mangroves. "If the damaged mangrove forest, means the region is only covered less than 400 stems per hectare of mangroves."
