JAKARTA, Apr 17 (NNN-ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, has ended the issuance of permits for timber extraction, at the country’s vast mangrove forests, to protect the ecosystem and take advantage of carbon trading, an official said here, yesterday.
Indonesia, an archipelago, is home to 3,440,464 hectares of mangrove forest, habitats for various types of flora and fauna, according to the ministry.
Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Forestry, Ristianto Pribadi, admitted, there is an increase in interest for licensing in mangrove areas.
He said that, all the permits issued by the ministry are only for activities classified as environmental services.
He explained that, the environmental service activities include the utilisation of non-timber products, ecotourism, and carbon trading.
As one of the efforts to rehabilitate mangrove forests, the director emphasised the need for investment approach, so as not to rely entirely on the government budget.
Indonesia has 769,824 hectares of potential mangrove habitat, according to the national mangrove map 2025.– NNN-ANTARA
