The North Sumatera Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) found that 432 hectares of mangrove forest at Secanggang District, Langkat Regency, had been turned into a palm oil plantation.
“We will curb this conversion of mangrove land,” North Sumatera BKSDA head Jhon Kennedy said in Stabat on Wednesday, December 2, 2015.
Jhon explained that he would coordinate with the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) to execute the land located at the Karang Gading conservation forest.
“We will cut down all palm oil trees on the 432 hectares of land,” he said.
Jhon added that the BKSDA used excavators to break through barriers allowing water to enter the land. The BKSDA also planned to conduct reforestation on the land.
About 15,000 hectares of the Karang Gading conservation forest had been encroached by irresponsible individuals. The mangrove forest was converted into palm oil plantations, shrimp ponds and fishponds.
Yuli revealed that the BKSDA would rehabilitate the forest by planting mangrove and other wildlife crop trees.
