Mangrove Restoration in Southeast Sulawesi Faces Threat from Oil and Gas Terminal Project

The sea breeze brushes against Bakring's body as he sits in the backyard of his house in Tapulaga Village, Soropia District, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. Since 2017, the 63-year-old man has been replanting Rhizopora sp. mangroves to restore the ecosystem along the Soropia coast. In the past, during the 1970s-1980s, the coastline near Bakring's house was lined with beropa (Sonneratia alba) and api-api (Avicennia alba) mangroves. Locals used the leaves for livestock feed and the stems for fuel in lime production. This area was also a fishing ground for fishermen. A perception emerged that mangrove forests were mosquito habitats, leading to their transformation into settlements and seaside villas to attract tourists, as it is only 20 kilometers from Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi. "So, many were cut down at that time. Even though, if we look, there are many shellfish living under the mangrove trees that we can consume," said Bakring when met at his house, which also serves as a Mangrove Conservation Learning House, on Monday (29/6/26). However, when mangroves disappear, a broader ecosystem is lost. Fishermen find it increasingly difficult to catch fish along the coast, also due to the declining function of the mangrove ecosystem, according to Bakring. "In those times, if we went fishing at night, we could catch almost all types of fish. We just picked and chose which blue swimming crabs we wanted to take because there were so many," said Bakring. "There were still many mangrove trees." Bakring stands near mangrove trees behind his house in Tapulaga Village, Soropia District, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. Photo: La Ode Risman Hermawan/Mongabay Indonesia The large-scale reduction of mangroves in his hometown prompted Bakring to initiate seedling cultivation and planting. Bakring targets... This article was originally published on Mongabay