W Sumatra Continues To Rehabilitate Coastal Ecosystem

Padang, W. Sumatra, March 12 (Antara) - The provincial government of West Sumatra continues to implement the ecosystem rehabilitation of coastal areas and sea in that province this year as part of efforts to bring back the function of mangrove forest to normal. Started in 2011, the ongoing rehabilitation was conducted through one program with two activities by the province`s marine and fishery office by involving relevant parties, West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno said here on Monday. To finance this program, the local government has allocated a budget of around Rp400 million to the marine and fishery office in that province. The provincial government through relevant agencies has also targeted to rehabilitate around 450 hectares of mangrove forest in the 2011-2015 period as part of coastal areas ecosystem. This program is conducted in stages for five years. Over 90 hectares of mangrove area is expected to be rehabilitated each year so that at the end of 2015, 450 hectares of mangrove forest could eventually be rehabilitated. The fund needed for this activity is allocated by the Central Government through the state budget in 2011 till 2015, he further said. Data obtained from the province`s marine and fishery office showed that around 22.67 percent of mangrove forest in the province is in a worse condition. By doing so, it was expected that the acreage of coastal areas could be put to normal under this rehabilitation program, he said. The total acreage of mangrove forestry area in West Sumatra is about 39,832 hectares, while the worse condition of mangrove forest is inseparable from the cutting activity with an aim to make use of mangrove woods and the shifting of land function into shrimp embankment and palm trees plantation The cutting of the mangrove forest and the shifting of forestry function will likely damage the ecosystem of coastal area which has a pivotal role to make the beach remain stable, to prevent the beach from erosion and abrasion in addition to protect the life of sea fauna, shrimp and crabs.