Dituding Menambang di Lahan Konservasi, PT Chevron Digugat ke Pengadilan

Riau - PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia digugat legal standing oleh aktivis lingkungan di Riau. Perusahaan migas asal Amerika itu dituding membuka ladang minyak di kawasan konservasi.

Gugatan itu didaftrakan LSM Riau Madani ke Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Dumai, dengan nomor gugatan, No18. Pdt-6/20/2/PN-Dum pada 5 April 2012 lalu. Menurut Sekretaris LSM Riau Madani, Tommy Freddy, dasar gugatan ini karena diketahui PT Chevron membuka pertambangan migasnya di kawasan konservasi Suaka Margasatwa Balai Raja di Kabupaten Bengaklis, Riau.

Pertambangan ini sudah berlangsung sejak tahun 1997 sampai saat ini masih berlangsung. Setidaknya di lokasi hutan margasatwa itu terdapat tiga sumur minyak milik Chevron.

"Dalam operasinya, pihak perusahaan juga membuka jalan poros di tengah kawasan koservasi. Tak cuma itu, mereka juga membelah perbukitan sehingga menjadi datar untuk kepentingan jalan poros tersebut," kata Tommy.

Masih menurut Tommy dalam lembaran gugatannya itu, akibat dari penambangan serta pembukan jalan telah merusak kawasan koservasi Balai Raja. Padahal, sesuai dengan ketentuan, lokasi itu sejak tahun 1986 ditetapkan Kemenhut sebagai kawasan koservasi. Ini diperkuat lagi dengan Peraturan Pemerintah No 26 Tahun 2008 yang menyebutkan Rencana Tata Ruang Nasional disebutkan kawasan Suaka Margasatwa Balai Raja adalah merupakan salah satu kawasan lindung nasional.

"Yang namanya kawasan konservasi, tidak boleh pinjam pakai untuk pertambangan. Tapi faktanya, kawasan konservasi Balai Raja dijadikan pertambangan migas oleh Chevron. Karenanya kita juga menggugat hal yang sama kepada Kemenhut," kata Tommy.

Sebagaimana diketahui, konservasi Balai Raja pada tahun 1986 luasnya mencapai 18 ribu hektar. Namun dari hasil investagasi WWF Indonesia yang dilakukan pada tahun 2007, kondisinya kian menyempit. Kawasan konservasi hanya tersisa 120 hektar. Ini salah satu faktor mengapa gajah di kawasan tersebut sering terjadi konflik dengan manusia. Humas WWF Indonesia di Riau, Syamsidar pernah menyebutkan, dengan luasan lahan hutan yang hanya tinggal 120 hektar, sangat memungkinkan terjadinya konflik antara gajah dengan manusia. Dan kondisi itu juga mengancam kepunahan gajah di kawasan koservasi tersebut.

"Dari data yang kami dapat, setiap tahun minimal dua ekor gajah mati dengan kondisi yang mengenaskan. Bahkan memasuki triwulan tahun ini (2011-red), sudah ada dua ekor gajah yang mati diduga akibat diracun," terangnya.

Sementara, Communication Specialist Chevron, Jeany Simanjuntak, yang dihubungi detikcom mengaku akan berkoordinasi terlebih dahulu dengan tim di Riau. "Kami cek dulu ke Riau soal gugatan itu," katanya.


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WWF Desak Pemerintah Usut Kematian 12 Ekor Gajah di Sumatera

Pekanbaru - Sepanjang tahun 2012, ada 12 ekor gajah Sumatera (Elephas maximus sumatranus) di Riau dan Aceh mati secara tak wajar. Pemerintah pusat dan daerah diminta serius untuk mengusut kasus tersebut.

Demikian disampaikan Direktur Program Kehutanan, Spesies dan Air Tawar WWF (World Wildlife Fund)-Indonesia, Anwar Purwoto, dalam siaran persnya yang diterima detikcom, Senin (11/6/2012).

Menurutnya, untuk menyelamatkan satwa dilindungi itu, pemerintah pusat dan daerah harus bersinergi mengusut tuntas kematian gajah yang tak wajar itu. "Kami meminta berbagai pihak meningkatkan efektifitas, intensitas dan luasan cakupan patroli pencegahan konflik, baik yang dilakukan oleh tim khusus maupun yang dilakukan secara swadaya oleh masyarakat di habitat gajah," kata Anwar.

Dalam catatan WWF Indonesia, diketahui populasi gajah Sumatera menurun drastis dalam kurun waktu 4 tahun terakhir. Lembaga Konservasi Dunia (IUCN) menaikkan status keterancaman gajah Sumatera dari 'genting' menjadi 'kritis', hanya selangkah dari status 'punah di alam'.

"Ini merupakah status terburuk dibandingkan subspesies gajah yang lain, baik di Asia maupun Afrika. Saat ini jumlah gajah Sumatera di alam diperkirakan tidak lebih dari 2.400 ekor - 2.800 ekor saja, turun 50 persen dari populasi sebelumnya yaitu 3.000 - 5.000 ekor pada tahun 2007. Hilangnya habitat akibat alih fungsi hutan merupakan penyebab utama penurunan populasi gajah," papar Anwar.

Di Riau, sepanjang Maret-Juni 2012 tercatat 7 kematian gajah di kawasan blok hutan Tesso Nilo. Kasus kematian yang terakhir terjadi di konsesi akasia PT. Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper pada 7 Juni 2012, Desa Lubuk Kembang Bunga, Kecamatan Ukui, Kabupaten Pelalawan. Seekor gajah jantan muda ditemukan mati dengan kondisi gading hilang.

"Perambahan di Taman Nasional Tesso Nilo harus ditangani dengan serius dan segera. Jika tidak konflik manusia-gajah akan terus terjadi di kawasan yang dicadangkan menjadi Pusat Konservasi Gajah tersebut," desaknya.

Sementara itu, Manajer Program WWF Indonesia, Suhandri menambahkan, Kementerian Pertanian dan dinas terkait di daerah harus peduli dan mengontrol secara ketat keberadaan industri kelapa sawit dan perizinannya serta implikasinya dengan kawasan konservasi dan keanekaraman hayati.

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Kemenhut Diminta Segera Aktifkan Operasional PT RAPP di Pulau Padang

Pekanbaru - Sejak Januari 2012 lalu, Kemenhut menghentikan operasi PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) di Pulau Padang, Kab Meranti Riau. Berhubung pihak perusahaan telah menyelesaikan tata batas, izin operasionalnya diminta dilanjutkan.

Demikian disampaikan Direktur Asosiasi Pengusaha Hutan Indonesia (APHI), Purwadi Soeprihanto, rilis yang terima detikcom, Kamis (27/9/2012). Menurut Purwadi, pihak perusahaan telah menyelesaikan tata batas partisipatif di lahan konsesi di Pulau Padang.

Langkah penyelesaian konflik lahan tersebut, lanjut Purwadi, sekaligus bisa menjadi pembuktian bagi RAPP bahwa mereka berkomitmen untuk mengelola kawasan hutan secara berkelanjutan.

"Jika diberikan izin beroperasi, maka RAPP bisa menunjukan bagaimana pengelolaan hutan tanaman yang baik. Jadi masyarakat bisa melihat sendiri dan diharapkan tidak ada lagi penolakan," kata Purwadi.

Kementerian Kehutanan menghentikan operasi RAPP di Pulau Padang, Riau, sejak Januari 2012, karena adanya keberatan dari sejumlah warga. Kemenhut mensyaratkan dilakukan tata batas partisipatif agar RAPP bisa beroperasi kembali di lokasi tersebut.

Purwadi menyatakan, dihentikannya operasional RAPP berarti timbul kerugian karena tertundanya kegiatan penanaman. Hal itu secara tidak langsung juga mempengaruhi pencapaian target penanaman secara nasional.

"Dihentikannya operasional RAPP di Pulau Padang sejatinya adalah preseden buruk untuk investasi di tanah air. Pasalnya, langkah tersebut diambil hanya didasarkan penolakan dari sekelompok orang. Bukan tidak mungkin situasi yang sama bakal dialami oleh perusahaan lain," katanya.

Untuk itu, dia berharap, tata batas partisipatif yang dilakukan bisa memperkuat legalitas RAPP di Pulau Padang. "Kami sangat berharap pemetaan partisipatif yang dilakukan benar-benar berdampak positif. Sehingga ke depan tidak ada lagi penghentian operasional hanya karena ada pihak yang keberatan," katanya.

Sementara itu, secara terpisah Direktur Utama PT RAPP Kusnan Rahmin mengatakan, perusahaan hampir menuntaskan proses tata batas partisipatif di Pulau Padang Riau.

"Tim tata batas telah menyelesaikan sebagian besar proses tata batas atau sekitar 80 persen dari seluruh total area yang akan ditata batas secara partisipatif. Tim tata batas ini didukung oleh perwakilan dari 12 desa yang dibentuk untuk mengakomodir aspirasi penduduk terkait pelaksanaan tata batas partisipatif," jelas Kusnan.

Kusnan Rahmin menambahkan perusahaan telah melakukan program pemberdayaan masyarakat di Pulau Padang dan akan mengembangkan tanaman kehidupan untuk kesejahteraan masyarakat.

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HEALTHY SEAS, HEALTHY PEOPLE

In 2006, researchers led by CI's Mark Erdmann dove into the coastal waters of Indonesia's Papua provinceand found a wonder world of marine life. Today, the region that Erdmann described as a "species factory" is a new marine protected area (MPA).

The Kaimana community-based Marine Protected Area, a 597,747-hectare coastal zone that is larger than Rhode Island, was formally declared in November 2008 by Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi. Encompassing pristine coastal waters and scores of local communities of the Kaimana Regency, the MPA is intended to halt destructive fishing practices including the use of bombs and potassium that damaged coral reefs and the fish stocks that lived in them.

READ MORE: Open Your Eyes To Coral

"This is a good example for other areas to protect their fish supply, so people no longer have to worry about depleting their main source of food in the future," said Dr. Jatna Supriatna, CI's regional vice president forIndonesia.

The Case for Conservation
A Win-Win
Nature for People's Sake

The Kaimana example also shows how modern conservation is supposed to work.

Erdmann's team of international and local researchers identified a place with unmatched biodiversity – one of the greatest concentrations of fish and corals on Earth, including species previously unknown to science.

Working with local communities and scientists as well as government authorities, CI helped create effective strategies such as MPAs for ensuring that such essential resources will exist in perpetuity for the good of everyone.

The goal of MPAs is sustainable use of marine resources, with increased awareness of how to conserve those resources for present and future benefit. That means balancing the needs of coastal communities with conservation of ecosystems such as coral reefs that are essential habitat for fish, a major protein source and income generator.

Protecting marine ecosystems makes them more resilient to rising sea temperatures and other effects ofclimate change. In addition, helping coastal communities develop alternate sources of conservation-based income – such as ecotourism – provides people with alternatives to depleting the resources at hand.

IN-DEPTH: Take a closer look at Indonesia's Papua Province.

Recent studies show that protecting such fragile and interconnected ecosystems of coastal landscapes and waters brings a range of economic and social benefits for local populations, including a steady source of food and more job opportunities.

"It's not an either-or situation, but a win-win," said Dr. Leah Bunce Karrer, senior director of CI's Marine Management Area Science (MMAS) program. "Marine ecosystems provide essential resources and services for coastal communities and human societies in general, so keeping them healthy helps everyone."

One study – the first global analysis of the importance of marine resources to people in tropical coastal areas – found that the vast majority of coastal dwellers depend on fishing as a primary source of income, especially in Asia. In the Caribbean and Central America, meanwhile, tourism based on pristine coral reefs is becoming a major economic driver.

The study – conducted by CI, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – also confirmed that illegal fishing, overfishing and pollution were the main threats to marine ecosystems.

At the recent World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, CI and partners released another study that showed how properly planned and managed MPAs provide a holistic approach to conservation that helps coastal communities and the biodiversity on which they depend.

LEARN MORE: Find out more about how economic incentives are intergral to successful conservation strategies.

More than 100 experts confirmed the study results, showing how MPAs provide ecological and socio-economic benefits including healthier ecosystems, improved livelihoods, food security and greater environmental awareness, as well as reduced conflicts between communities.

In many cases, communities that traditionally depended on fishing alone found that MPAs offered diversified livelihoods including ecotourism, protected area management and even handicrafts made from plants in mangrove swamps.

Another key finding: Protecting spawning grounds and other vital fish habitat increases fish populations that spill over from no-fishing zones into surrounding areas to provide sustainable catches for local fishermen.

"We're not trying to be preservationists that aim for complete human exclusion," Karrer noted. "We recognize that success depends on conservation that works for species and people."

In Indonesia, local authorities echoed the need for conservation to work for people.

"Through the declaration of this MPA, let's make sure that the development of the MPA will … enhance people's welfare, especially the welfare of traditional fishermen in Kaimana," said Yonathan Ojanggai, Chief of the Mairasi Clan. "If not us, who else would develop Kaimana."

READ MORE: Around the World: Protecting Marine Areas

FOR JAKARTA, A GREEN WALL

On the Indonesian island of Java, the people of Jakarta are restoring the forest they need to thrive.

Outside the city, Java’s largest tracts of remaining rainforest are protected in two mountainous national parks: a rich forest ecosystem that provides the primary water catchment for over 20 million people living in five cities, including Jakarta, Indonesia’s bustling capitol.

EXPLORE: Discover the wonders of Indonesia.

Forests and Water

In the rainy seasons, the forests of Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park and Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (collectively known as GeDePaHala) provide protection from sudden flooding as the mountains drain into the rivers and creeks around Jakarta. Several of GeDePaHala’s rivers also continue to flow throughout prolonged dry seasons, providing a form of insurance against drought.

GeDePaHala shelters a number of species – such as the silvery Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) and a small population of Javan leopards (Panthera pardus ssp. melas), all listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List – that are found nowhere else in the world.

But the forests are struggling. In the past few decades, much of Java’s forest has been converted into farmlands and residential areas. Illegal logging continues in the remaining forested areas, much of it carried out by local people simply trying to make a living.

LEARN MORE: CI collaborates with local people to help protect nature. Find out about how these unique partnerships work.

To restore and protect these forests and their benefits to Java’s people, CI-Indonesia is helping to coordinate a large-scale “Green Wall” program designed to protect and restore this vital ecosystem and the direct human benefits it provides.

A Green Wall for the People of Indonesia

Green Wall projects include replanting trees, a tree adoption program, agroforestry, public outreach and community education. It represents individuals, communities, corporations, and a government working together to recover 10,000 hectares (approximately 25,000 acres, larger than the city of Miami, Florida) of degraded land in the mountains of GeDePaHala.

The restored forests will form “green walls” to buffer the protected national park forests in the future, prevent soil erosion and landslides, protect water sources, contribute to alleviating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and provide various other benefits, including offering a stronghold for biological diversity.

IN-DEPTH: CI works with local communities to create economic opportunities that benefit both humans and nature.

“This action is urgently needed for our safety and livelihood, particularly those who live in the upstream and downstream area”, says Dr. Bambang Sukmananto, former Director of the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. “It is my hope that the initiative could trigger awareness of people living in cities to pay more attention to the conservation of the park,” he adds.

The Pieces of the Puzzle

The Green wall concept combines numerous programs:

• Working with local communities to reforest degraded areas, creating a “green border” that will help secure the expanded park boundaries from encroachment.
• Helping communities generate extra income from forest-friendly crops. Based on local input, reforestation plants will be a mixture of forest woods, productive fruits and rare plants.
• Partnering with religious leaders and Muslim boarding schools to teach conservation of natural resources as divine gifts to be responsibly used for the benefit of current and future generations.
• Educating including local school children, families, community groups, decision makers and corporate executives at the Bodogol Conservation Education Center, which offers guided nature walks, lectures and training courses, as well as laboratory space and accommodations for visiting researchers.
• Encouraging local communities to incorporate conservation into their daily lives through films, discussions, interactive games and puppets – using Javan gibbons as the mascot. With partners, CI-Indonesia also operates a small facility that researches gibbon health, behavior and ecology, and reintroduces the animals into the wild.
• Focusing on the upstream communities, CI-Indonesia complements already-skillful traditional knowledge with modern expertise to encourage better care of the forest.
• The Green Wall program has also established a tree adoption program that allows individuals and corporations to help refresh the forest on which they all rely.

It is only appropriate that the entire region should come together to create a forest – and water-supply saving – “Green Wall.” As Jatna Supriatna, CI’s Regional Vice President for Indonesia, says, “The entirety of GeDePaHala is our responsibility. We have been using the environmental services such as clean air and water for free.”

Now, the people of Jakarta and the surrounding areas are beginning to return that gift.

Menhut: Konservasi Bukan Hanya Tanggung Jawab Pemerintah

WAY KAMBAS, KOMPAS.com - Menteri Kehutanan Zulkifli Hasan menegaskan, masalah konservasi satwa di Indonesia bukan hanya tanggung jawab pemerintah. Keterlibatan semua pihak menjadikan program pelestarian akan dapat optimal.

"Semua pihak, termasuk masyarakat, diharapkan punya kepedulian akan masalah konservasi demi lestarinya satwa dan lingkungan," kata Zulkifli saat peletakan batu pertama pembangunan Rumah Sakit Gajah di Taman Nasional Way Kambas, Lampung Timur, Provinsi Lampung, Selasa (31/1/2012).

RS Gajah tersebut dibangun atas kolaborasi tiga pihak, yakni Lembaga Konservasi di luar habitat Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) Bogor, Australia Zoo, dan Kementerian Kehutanan.
"Taman Nasional Way Kambas adalah aset luar biasa Kabupaten Lampung Timur, sehingga pemerintah daerah dan masyarakatnya mesti ikut mendukung program-program konservasi," ujar Zulkifli.

Menhut menegaskan, bahwa dengan keberadaan RS Gajah itu nantinya, selain untuk konservasi dan penelitian dengan fokus gajah, juga bisa dimanfaatkan bagi satwa lainnya.

"Di sini ada Gajah Sumatera, Harimau Sumatera dan juga Badak Sumatera, serta satwa lainnya yang khas, sehingga bila ada satwa yang mengalami masalah kesehatan bisa dirujuk," katanya.

Direktur Lembaga Konservasi "eks-situ" Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) Bogor Tony Sumampau dalam laporannya menyatakan, dengan mulai dibangunnya sarana konservasi gajah pertama di Asia, diharapkan di tempat itu akan menjadi pusat konservasi gajah terbesar di dunia. Menurut dia, di Florida, Amerika Serikat, tepat di Polk County, terdapat pusat konservasi gajah (CEC) yang dibangun "Ringling Brother Circus", yang luasnya hanya 80 hektare.

"Di Pusat Konservasi Gajah Way Kambas ini nantinya akan terdiri atas RS Gajah, rumah mahout (pawang), sarana air bersih dan tempat minum gajah, tempat tambatan, data base, serta mengikutsertakan masyarakat sekitar," katanya.

RS Gajah yang dialokasikan pada lahan seluas 100 hektare itu, adalah bagian dari 400 hektare Pusat Konservasi Gajah (PKG) di Way Kambas.