Clearing of Tripa Peat Swamp Forest Threatening Orangutan | Koran Tempo

Clearing of Tripa Peat Swamp Forest Threatening Orangutan

Koran Tempo, Friday, May 18, 2012

Jakarta – Elected Aceh Governor, Zaini Abdullah, is requested to review the cultivation plantation lisence of PT Kalista Alam covering 1,605 ha in Tripa Peat Swamp Forest in Aceh’s Nagan Raya District.

The request has been adressed by the Task Force REDD+ led by Kuntoro Mangusubroto. “The review is also to be carried out on the lisence of PT Surya Panen Subur 2,” said Mas Ahmad Santosa, the Head of the Task Force’s Legal Analysis and Law Enforcement Unit, last Tuesday.

On August 25, 2011, Aceh’s Governor Irwandi Yusuf issued a permit to the palm oil company  PT Kalista Alam. The alocated area is controversial, since it is situated within the area of moratorium of new permits.

The problem became serious, since both companies mentioned above conducted land clearing using burning method. This action has threaten the existence of Sumatran orangutan within the area.

According to Mas Ahmad, the government is committed to solve the Tripa case through the approach of various legal regimes. First, the Ministry of Environment and the Attorney General to finalise the legal process on the case of clearing by burning and file suit on the state loss.

Second, the police and the Attorney General to pursuit in the suspicious plantation and spatial planning crime act by PT Kalista. Third, the Ministry of Forestry to verify to re-include the area of PT Kalista into the moratorium map. Besides, to enforce the law in case orangutan nests are proven to exist within the areas of both companies. Untung Widyanto

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