The Mangrove forest area in Indonesia, precisely in Bintuni Bay District, West Papua Province, is currently in a worrying state.

About five times the size of a football field, the second-largest mangrove forest area in the world after the Amazon was destroyed. It was alleged that one of the licensors of the Forest Enterprise Rights company had carried out a seizure that resulted in the world's second-largest lung being destroyed.

One of the former employees of the Limited Company, Main Bintuni Pure Wood Industry, Muhami Rafadeso explains the extraction of the Mangrove forest in the site of the plant using heavy weapons. Not only that, the company's obligation to replant the deforestation has not been fulfilled.

In accordance with the regulations of the Indonesian government in the Natural Forest Forest Forest Work Permit granted to the company. The company is obliged to replant after cutting.

"In my opinion, in the last three to four years, the company has been working on a device, a mini tractor that was brought into the Mangrove forest. We see this area is now in a very worrying condition and not noticed by the company," said Muhami Rafadeso.


"For the last three to four years, as far as I know, this company has been doing cutting by means of tools. Then another thing we see ourselves is no replanting by the company," he added.

In order to get closer to the conditions of the destroyed Mangrove Forest Area, a media collaboration team conducted a search to the site, where in the search it was found a destroying Mangrove forest area.

Not only that, the drone video footage obtained by the Media Collaboration Team shows the extent of the destruction in the Mangrove Forest Area.

Meanwhile, based on data released by Global Forest Watch from 2001 to 2021 on the island of Amutu Grande and Sarbe which is the site of the firing by the company. Now there's a red warning about the disappearance of large-scale tree covers in the region.

Indonesian Forest Rescue Campaign Officer Hilman Afif of Auriga Nusantara said that based on deepening through satellite imagery in the period 2001 – 2021, there has been the opening of the Mangrove Natural Forest (Deforestation) with an area of 2,982.97 hectares in the concession area of the company.

The opening of natural forests in the area, according to Hilman, was also confirmed through non-tax State Acceptance data of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia carried out by the company.

"The data also shows that the company carried out the harvesting of wood in the area of the mangrove forest and made the payment of forest resources provision to the state," Hilman revealed.

"In addition, according to data obtained through Satellite Images, it is also apparent that the islands of Amutu and Sarbe are one of the locations with a very high intensity of deforestation," he added.

According to Hilman, even though he has a license for the harvesting of natural forest products, it does not mean that the company is free to carry out the cutting without compensation for other actions.

"When viewed from satellite images, deforestation that occurs at the company's concession has an exhausted pattern in which harvesting activities with natural forest permission should be carried out selectively," explains Hilman.

Deforestation in Mangrove forests, according to Hilman, not only causes damage to ecosystems, such as loss of local diversity, but also contributes to climate change.

"The ecosystems that exist in coastal areas including mangroves play a crucial role in controlling the total carbon budget," he concluded.

Hilman continued in the midst of increasingly uncertain global conditions that question climate change, mangrove conservation should also be the focus of all parties - including companies - as part of mitigation action.

"Instead of increasing the national income through the harvesting of mangrove, this event has contributed badly to the sustainability of the environment, especially Papua mangrove as the lung of the world. So the activities carried out by the company must be balanced with replanting so that the local ecosystem remains awake to its sustainability,” he said.

Auriga Nusantara is a nature conservation-based NGO that consensus on environmental issues in Indonesia.


Meanwhile, General Manager and Limited Personnel of Bintuni Pure Woods Industries, Kevin William is reluctant to respond in connection with the damage to the mangrove forest in the Gulf of the North, but he says replanting a mangrove tree takes time and there are rules.

"When it comes to it (damage), I may not be able to comment well because it is not part of me but as far as I know there are regulations that regulate for cutting it not directly done planting, not like that," he said.

"There is an arrangement for three years and then the planting is done and it is seen from the side of its own natural facility, what its growth is like, the deficiency is done by the acquisition of seedlings and planting activities," he continued.

Kevin added the company where he worked, operating in the Bintuni region since 1988 and the first export in 1989 to the destination country of Japan, but since 2022 the company has made the last export after its license was revoked.

"So, this company has been operating since 1988, it's already started cutting and exporting for the first time in 1989 to Japan. And the first Forest Enterprise Rights permits were initially 137 thousand hectares, continuing for renewal after 20 years of about 80 thousand acres. We're just managing from the round wood of HBH's own output to the chip," he closed.


Local youth who is also an environmental activist, Roy Marthen Masyewi said the devastation of the mangrove forests in their region has a major impact on the livelihoods of the local people who depend on their natural resources.

"Then I, as one of the young people who are active in the field of conservation of the mangrove forest, saw the destruction of the Mangrove forest in this region which is a source for the locals. My hope is let's take care of the woods together. Because if the forest doesn't exist or is destroyed, then we as people who depend on nature to make a living will find it difficult to get food. And we're gonna lean on where else," Roy revealed.

Roy also urged the Indonesian law enforcement agencies to act immediately to enforce the law against the perpetrators of the Mangrove forest destruction. Because as locals they are helpless to face the big corporations that are present in their place and destroy nature.


"The law enforcement in Indonesia must act immediately and the perpetrators who destroy this forest must be prosecuted in accordance with the laws in force in Indonesia. Because if we're small citizens acting it's hard to fight big companies. But since Indonesia is a state of law, I, as a young figure, also speak for law enforcement. We support the Indonesian Police in enforcing the law on this matter, and we are both tightening up this matter," he hoped.

Meanwhile, Bintuni Bay Mangrove explorers Trivonia Nafurbenan said he was very concerned about the current state of the devastated Mangrove forest.

"I am very concerned about the destruction of the Mangrove forests of the Bay of Bintuni that have been said to be part of the world's lungs," Trivonia said.

According to Trivonia, he is an activist who cares about Mangrove and then moves to educate the communities and companies in the region to protect the Mangrove Forest.

"So when we look at all kinds of wild cuts and also the very intense Mangrove issues we hear in public. So try to present us with our various activities that are also an education to the community. We're building public awareness to see the lungs of the world that we see together are broken," he said.

Trivonia describes the Mangrove Forest as a mother who gives life to mankind.

"I, as a female consensus on the environment, would like to say that, maybe we see this forest as simple, but we know together this forest is part of a mother who really gives us life," she concluded.

he Mangrove Forest in Bintuni Bay District, West Papua Province has suffered damage allegedly due to the industrial activity of a limited affiliate of Bintuni Main Puri Wood Industries.

"In connection with the damage (to the Mangrove forest), later from the forestry service of the province will annually monitor and evaluate the construction activities and the reforestation process," West Papua Governor Paulus Waterpauw told reporters, in Manokwari, Saturday (2/9/2023).


Paul said that the company that has been obtaining industrial permits manages the Mangrove forest in the Bintuni Gulf district, but the permission has been withdrawn and a regional regulation No. 5 of 2023 has been issued regarding the protection of the mangrove forest.

"The company initially had a 2007 permit for their permit area of 82,120 hectares, but at the moment the permit has been withdrawn," he said.

"They have now switched to environmental services that are currently under way in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. Secondly, the company promises to restore the former cliff area in cooperation with the local government of both the provinces and the districts," he said.

"also our commitment from the government is because Mangrove enters the protected area and also sustainable utilization in the spatial arrangement and the territory of the West Papua Province we have incorporated in 2022 and also in 2041," he added.

Paul said that the West Papua Province has a 471,902 hectare Mangrove forest and the largest is in the Bintuni Bay District. Mangrove presence as a protector of coastal areas from abrasion, high waves to tsunamis and co2 generators.

"So there are about 471,902 hectares whose use mainly protects coastal areas from abrasion, waves or tsunamis. It is also the habitat of flora and fauna around the coast," he said.


























he Mangrove Forest in Bintuni Bay District, West Papua Province has suffered damage allegedly due to the industrial activity of a limited affiliate of Bintuni Main Puri Wood Industries.

"In connection with the damage (to the Mangrove forest), later from the forestry service of the province will annually monitor and evaluate the construction activities and the reforestation process," West Papua Governor Paulus Waterpauw told reporters, in Manokwari, Saturday (2/9/2023).


Paul said that the company that has been obtaining industrial permits manages the Mangrove forest in the Bintuni Gulf district, but the permission has been withdrawn and a regional regulation No. 5 of 2023 has been issued regarding the protection of the mangrove forest.

"The company initially had a 2007 permit for their permit area of 82,120 hectares, but at the moment the permit has been withdrawn," he said.

"They have now switched to environmental services that are currently under way in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. Secondly, the company promises to restore the former cliff area in cooperation with the local government of both the provinces and the districts," he said.

"also our commitment from the government is because Mangrove enters the protected area and also sustainable utilization in the spatial arrangement and the territory of the West Papua Province we have incorporated in 2022 and also in 2041," he added.

Paul said that the West Papua Province has a 471,902 hectare Mangrove forest and the largest is in the Bintuni Bay District. Mangrove presence as a protector of coastal areas from abrasion, high waves to tsunamis and co2 generators.

"So there are about 471,902 hectares whose use mainly protects coastal areas from abrasion, waves or tsunamis. It is also the habitat of flora and fauna around the coast," he said.