Green activists protest mangrove forest logging

Dozens of green activists from Selayar Island in South Sulawesi rallied outside the provincial environmental agency on Tuesday to protest deforestation of a mangrove area in Delta Bua Bua.

Asrahiyah Abubakar of the Selayar Island Environmental Community said the logging activities could cause a natural disaster in the area.

“The mangrove forest has been guarding the city from abrasion, flood, and strong wind as well as sea intrusion to residents’ wells,” said Asrahiyah.

A businessman, Nasir Ali, has reportedly bought the two-hectare delta from previous owner Andi Raja and started to fell mangrove trees in March last year to clear the land for a dam construction project there. About 1,000 mangrove seedlings also vanished during the land clearing activities.