People Monitor
Illegal Logging under Pretext of the Community SVLK Monitoring in North Maluku “Business license has expired, timber legality certificate also has expired, but still logging in the forest.” Adlun Fikri, a monitor from Central Halmahera, North Maluku (December 2020).
North Maluku is a central of biodiversity in Indonesia. According to the data from World Bank, this region has 26 species of endemic birds, eleven endemic mammals, nine endemic amphibian and reptiles, and more than 100 species of endemic land snail. More that 70 % of these endemic animals depends on forest. So, the sustainability of various bio diversities is closely related to how the living space in the forest is preserved. The increasing of deforestation in Indonesia gives impact to forest and biodiversity, one of the example is the change of the designation of an area from previously forest to plantation. In transition phase, there is land clearing activity by massive logging and the timber is ‘utilized’ to be processed and traded so that the timber as a forestry product is also applied timber legality in the form of SVLK. The largest and most intact forest coverage in North Maluku are Aketajawe and Lolobata National Park in Halmahera. Besides having a shady and natural trees, these National Parks are important areas in the protection of endemic birds. There are at least 24 from 26 species of Indonesian endemic birds are in these areas. And the most important thing, there are eight bird species and some of which are threatened or vulnerable to extinction. Legal disciplinary measures for timber and forestry business actors through SVLK related to all of these. These National Parks, like it or not is a source of wood. And with all limitations it allows the timber is being exploited from these National Park areas. So, SVLK’s concern doesn’t only focus on tracing the origin of the timber, but also how is the impact of the biodiversity from the original forest? Moreover, forest that is legally not allowed to utilize the timber. Even, a friend said that we are not allowed to pull grass in national park area. If any animal or plant dies, let it decomposes naturally.
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