After driving past miles of mangroves punctuated by discreet signage along the Bypass for the past year, I finally decided to find out what was going on.
Ten years ago the Ministry of Forestry permitted local people to rent the mangrove forests for fisheries projects provided they didn't harm the mangroves. But human nature being what it is, local entrepreneurs soon started felling the trees to make space for fish and prawn breeding ponds. The mature mangrove trees were cut and reduced to charcoal, a popular commodity because it burns slowly.
Alarmed by the rapid degradation of the mangroves, the Ministry of Forestry requested technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in rehabilitating the area. In 1993, JICA began working with Indonesians to replant the cleared areas and experiment with new species. The first project focused on producing a 250 hectare plantation, writing nursery and silviculture manuals in Indonesian and establishing a sustainable model for mangrove management. Bali's largest indigenous mangrove forest now covers 1,250 hectares.
Pak Rachim and Messrs Ide and Takeda at the Mangrove Information Centre were enthusiastic on their subject. After an extensive briefing I was presented with a huge pair of black Wellington boots and led unprotesting into the swamp.
What are the benefits of this sturdy shore plant, its skinny legs exposed to the thigh during low tide? Perhaps its greatest value is in stabilizing shorelines. All those wiry legs have multiple feet planted deep in the tidal sand, creating a dense network of roots that keep the coastline where it belongs.
Many coastal communities in Indonesia and elsewhere have learned this lesson the hard way. In South Sulawesi, shrimp farmers removed mangroves from a stretch of beach near Ujang Pandang. Along with the mining of nearby coral reefs and upland deforestation, this resulted in severe coastal erosion. The beach began disappearing at the rate of up to 10 metres a year. The community worked with BAPEDAL and the Environmental Studies Department at Hasanuddin University to set up a demonstration project, and the same people who had cut down mangroves a year before now found themselves painstakingly planting mangrove saplings in the tidal flats. The erosion of the beach has been halted and the villagers learned the important part mangroves play in the ecosystem.
In storms, typhoons and high tides, the mangroves form a living wall against the destructive power of the sea. The maze of mangrove roots also play an important role as nurseries for fish, prawns and crabs. Snakes, monitor lizards and birds find refuge among the trees. Local people harvest fish and crabs from the mangrove forests for sale and consumption. The JICA project surveyed this area for wildlife 3 years ago and it is already increasing.
A village near the Mangrove Information Centre is a traditional salt-producing centre. Villagers leach salt out of the sand in long wooden troughs. The brine drips onto a pan below the trough, where a young mangrove leaf is used to monitor the salinity of the solution. When it sinks, it's time to boil off the water and harvest the sea salt. The fisheries spoiled the salt producing industry by cutting the mangroves, which filter impurities from the water. With the re-introduction of the mangroves, the volume and quality of the sea salt has improved. Salt makers can now make up to Rp 200,000 a day.
Mangroves thrive in the intertidal zone where fresh water meets salt. There are 7 indigenous species mangrove in the project area and 7 more have been planted experimentally. Some species have edible fruit, and others are used in traditional medicine. Pak Rachim announces the Latin name of each species we pass.
The Mangrove Information Centre Project plans to become a lively Ecotourism centre. By October this year a museum and visitor centre will be opened to tourists, university students and school children. Visitors will be able to explore the mangrove forests on wheelchair-accessible walkways and by canoe tours. Observation platforms and a floating deck are being planned to facilitate wildlife viewing. The Centre will be maintained partly from entrance fees.
The project will serve as a model for Indonesia, which does not yet have any other mangrove protection projects. "The Mangrove Information Centre Project devolves back to the Ministry of Forestry, so this is a training centre for sustainable mangrove management. We are training governmental extension workers and stake holders for the whole of Indonesia,'" explains Mr Ide. "Mangrove also grows in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Irian Jaya. In Bali there is no longer illegal cutting but other parts of Indonesia are having a serious problem. Forestry workers, NGOs and village leaders need to be made aware of the benefits of mangrove so they will understand why they should be protected."
I staggered along the slippery banks in my oversize boots, trying to take notes while resisting the forces of gravity that invited me into the mud. It was hot on the exposed dikes but the low, dense forests of mangrove had a tranquillity of their own. Unlike rain forests, mangrove forests are subtle and understated. Construction had already begun on tidy wooden walkways. I could imagine a pleasant early morning visit to an observation platform armed with binoculars, a bird book and a flask of iced tea.
Sadly, the aesthetics of the project are at risk from Bali's ubiquitous garbage issues. The estuaries that support the mangrove forests are also the final destination of all the rubbish that is thrown into nearby rivers. Ironically, the dense web of mangrove roots serves as a net to capture it on its way to the sea. Half of this ugly harvest is plastic; torn, faded bags hang like obscene banners from the exposed roots and lower branches of the trees, blocking water movement and threatening to choke the trees' aerial roots.
The mangrove project battled this dilemma for three months, investing Rp 17 million to hire pemulung to collect the garbage every day. But it proved a hopeless task. Besides the difficulties of removing garbage from the thick mud, the endless flow of rubbish could not be stopped. Finally, the project staff planned a workshop for local people on solid waste disposal to try and address the problem.
Meanwhile, Bali's serene mangrove forests continue to provide protection to the shoreline, sanctuary for wildlife and food and employment for villagers who live nearby. Watch for the opening of the Mangrove Information Centre in October.
