Kendal, C Java - Indonesia has 43 million hectares of mangrove forests but most of them are damaged, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Syarif Cicip Sutardjo said. Therefore, a mangrove replanting program is needed, the minister said when symbolically presenting mangrove trees at Wonorejo, here, Wednesday. "We know that shrimp and fish ponds have worsened the degradation of mangrove forests, and therefore, we must restore the forests in order to prevent abrasion," he said. By preserving mangrove forests, people will also prevent soil abrasion, he added. He said since he becoming minister three and half months ago, he had traveled to 18 provinces. From his interactions with fishermen and fish/shrimp farmers, he had concluded that industrialization is crucial for the future. They need industries to manage their products, he said. The maritime affairs and fisheries ministry has three main programs, namely poverty eradication, economic development, and environmental preservation. The ministry had allocated a budget amounting to Rp1.9 trillion for poverty eradication, Rp2.1 trillion for economic development, and Rp0.5 trillion for environmental preservation. "We urge public participation in the preservation of mangrove forests for the sake of our grand children's future, and to protect the soil in coastal areas," he said (*)


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