Pertamina Plants 300 Thousands Mangrove Trees in Ujung Alang

Cilacap, C Java (Antara) - State oil and gas company, PT Pertamina Refinery Unit (RU) IV, in Cilacap, Central Java, began the planting of 300 thousand mangrove trees in Ujung Alan village, Segara Anakan lagoon, Cilacap district, on Saturday. The program involved Pertamina employees, local people, environmentalists and naval officers, Pertamina RU IV General Manager Edy Prabowo said. Mangrove ecosystems had a crucial role to play in people's livelihood, therefore its sustainable management was necessary to improve public welfare, he said. The Segara Anakan area was expected to have the largest mangrove forest area in Asia, he added. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility program, the Pertamina RU IV ensured the preservation of mangroves in Cilacap. In 2009, it planted 10 thousand mangrove seedlings in Ujung Alang. In 2011, the state-owned company provided financial assistance and training to local farmers for fish and crab breeding. "In 2012, we planted 285 thousand mangrove seedlings in Ujung Alang. In 2014, we again plan on planting 300 thousand mangrove trees. The planting activity starts today. We have a target to plant one million mangrove trees in Segara Anakan area," he said. (*)