Total proposes local mangrove forest to become conservation area

Oil and gas firm PT Total Indonesie, a unit of French energy giant TotalFinaElf, has proposed to the East Kalimantan administration to turn the local mangrove forest in the Mahakam delta to become a conservation area to protect the local ecosystem.

The Radar Kaltim daily quoted Total environmental official Togar Hasibuan as saying that the massive development of fish ponds in the area with the necessary ?greenbelt? protection measure had threatened the ecosystem of the mangrove forest area.

Togar said that to avoid further destruction, the forest area must be turned into a conservation area. He said that the size of the mangrove forest in the Mahakam delta was now only 20,000 ha from 100,000 ha previously.

He feared that if the environment continued to deteriorate, people would accuse Total. But he said that there has been scientific evidence that waste materials from Total are not a danger to the ecosystem.

He said that if the ecosystem of the mangrove forest was destroyed, the local farmers would suffer in terms of sharp decline in shrimps or fish harvest.(*)