Batam Mangroves Become Charcoal: Sumatra, Indonesia

Previously I have posted articles about how precious the Mangrove system is to the bio-diversity in Indonesia and ecologically important. Apart from pollution there are other factors affecting these beautiful and natural areas.

And that being man himself. Sheer greed and disrespect for the environment is gradually eroding the filtering system of the coastal areas. While environmentalists say there is a need to plant more mangroves to protect coasts from the dangers of tsunamis, the forests are being stripped in the Riau Islands.

On Galang Baru some 60 kilometers southeast of Batam mangrove wood is processed into a profitable export commodity: charcoal. In a deep forest near Cakang village in the Kampung Baru subdistrict a charcoal processing company has four-story building and a wharf but no signposts.

Asiong, a worker from the charcoal exporting company said that the mangrove wood used to produce the charcoal came from Batam and its surrounding islands.

"There is high demand for charcoal from Singapore. We are sending the charcoal through once every day or so. The price is triple than what you can sell it for locally. Besides, we only export it to Singapore and we don't serve local demand" he said.

Each delivery usually amounted to about 21 tons, each packed in a 30 kg sack. In Singapore the charcoal costs $10 a kg while in Batam it costs only Rp 2,000. Every month the company exports around 525 tons of the product to Singapore.

The deal was a profitable one since Anwar a resident of Cakang village in Galang, said that the processing company purchases mangrove woods at price of Rp 500 a kilogram although it usually buys the woods in large quantity.

Asiong said the raw materials came from several mangrove forests in Riau Islands. Mangrove wood produced high quality charcoal.

"Usually the charcoal we send is used by luxury restaurants because it is of the best quality. It has low water content and can be used for a longer time," he said. He said using the mangrove wood would not harm the environment and noted the company had a permit to process the wood.

This industry is not environmentally friendly although it helps boost the income of the residents living around it. There is a need for the government to control such an industry.

Meanwhile, the head of the provincial Marine, Fisheries and Agriculture Office, Abang Muzni, confirmed there was a timber processing company cutting down mangrove forests in Batam.

"We do strictly control them. We closely monitor their activities at all times. We don't want the mangrove forests around Batam gone. But this business is good for the welfare of the people" he said.