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Locals protest plan to capture whale shark for Sea World exhibit

Local residents and environmentalists in Berau, East Kalimantan, are protesting a plan to capture and transport a local whale shark to Sea World Ancol in Jakarta over concerns about the protected fish’s well-being

N. Adri (The Jakarta Post)
Balikpapan
Thu, March 15, 2018

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Locals protest plan to capture whale shark for Sea World exhibit

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ocal residents and environmentalists in Berau, East Kalimantan, are protesting a plan to capture and transport a local whale shark to Sea World Ancol in Jakarta over concerns about the protected fish’s well-being.

Activists under the Indonesian Maritime Youth Forum in East Kalimantan set up an online petition on change.org on Sunday protesting the plan. As of Wednesday evening, it had been signed by nearly 2,000 people.

The petitioners argued that the plan was based on commercial purposes and that it overlooked conservation needs. “We want the plan to be cancelled because the relocation is against wildlife conservation principles,” said forum member Yudhistira on Wednesday.

Although the plan was said to be made for educational purposes, it could risk the shark’s health because whale sharks were migratory sea creatures, he said.

“The right treatment for whale sharks and other wildlife creatures is to allow them to live in their natural habitats for conservation,” Yudhistira added.

Krisna Kusuma, the head of Borneo Cross-Country Group, another Kalimantan-based conservation group, condemned the plan, saying that whale sharks were a legally protected species under the 1990 law on conservation.

The whale shark, the largest fish in the world, is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ red list of threatened species.

Its slow reproductive rate, migratory nature and vulnerability to fishery activities contributes to its overall vulnerability. Whale sharks are highly sought after for their flesh and fins.

The regency administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PT Impian Jaya Ancol last week to build a tourist attraction based on conservation, research and marine biodiversity protection. The MoU, which will be followed up on with a more detailed agreement, includes a plan to relocate a whale shark, green sea turtle, manta ray and several types of non-stinging jellyfish from Kakaban Island such as moon jellyfish and Mastigias jellyfish.

Berau Deputy Regent Agus Tantomo said the agreement was made for educational and conservation purposes. According to the MoU, a new aquarium called the Berau Corner will showcase Berau’s marine life. The project would be completed in two years, Agus said.

Berau Regent Muharram said the administration saw the agreement as an effort to boost both local tourism and regional income. “When visitors see the aquarium, they will know that the sea creatures come from Berau. It will entice them to visit Berau,” he said.

Berau is one of six regencies in East Kalimantan with 1.2 million hectares of sea territory rich with natural biodiversity. The regency is also locally and internationally known for its underwater and beach tourist attractions at the Derawan and Kakaban islands.

Pembangunan Jaya Ancol president director Paul Tehusijarana said the plan was made to showcase the country’s marine biodiversity.

However, he refused to give details on it, saying the company was still working on the project budget.

“We have yet to set a fixed schedule for the project,” he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the two parties would go through the necessary procedures for the relocation and that they would gain approval from the Environment and Forestry Ministry before kicking off the project.

Moreover, he said all sea creatures displayed at Sea World were treated well.

“We have marine biologists and veterinarians to ensure all of our animals are not stressed. We also make sure that they do not lose their wild nature despite being in captivity,” he said.

He claimed that, every year, Sea World passed annual inspections conducted by the ministry on wildlife living standards.

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