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Giam Siak biosphere reserve's core zone set ablaze
The Riau administrationâs forestry agency head ,Zulkifli Yusuf, said that the core zone of the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu biosphere reserve in Riau was set on fire as a result of illegal logging activities in the area
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T
he Riau administration's forestry agency head ,Zulkifli Yusuf, said that the core zone of the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu biosphere reserve in Riau was set on fire as a result of illegal logging activities in the area.
'Fires burned the biosphere reserve's core zone in the conservation forest, which is overseen by the Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Riau,' said Zulkifli in Pekanbaru on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.
Riau Haze Emergency Response Task Force commander Brig.Gen.Prihadi Agus Irianto earlier said Riau fires had burned 3,000 hectares of the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu biosphere reserve, which was located in two regencies in the Riau province, namely Bengkalis and Siak.
'Since forest fires have been occurring in Riau, the Giam Siak Kecil biosphere reserve has been the most affected. The fires now have covered 3,000 hectares,' said Prihadi, who is also the chief of the Wirabima Military Command.
The Giam Siak biosphere reserve was initiated as a world conservation area by Sinar Mas Group in 2009. Up till now, it did not have the legal right to manage the reserve's core zone, however.
Zulkifli said Sinar Mas Group was only responsible for the transition zone it later developed as industrial forests that produced raw paper materials for the Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).
'Many hotspots have also been found in concession areas belonging to Sinar Mas Group, but I don't want to speak about it because that is the responsibility of the Forestry Ministry,' said Zulkifli.
Sinar Mas Forestry spokesperson Nurul Huda said both sides should tour the affected areas.
'If the biosphere is under the management of Sinar Mas, of course the company will protect it and be responsible for extinguishing the fires there. But if the fires occur in a location under the authority of the BKSDA, then we will help them put out the fires,' said Nurul. (ebf)
