By: Cristiana Ximenes Belo
Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKSNP) has been neglected from the government of Timor – Leste, since its establishment in 2008. However, this initiative, by the Government itself, but never, there is planning in the annual budget for sustainable development in coastal areas regarding the Management system.
The turtle population began to decline in Timor – Leste and in the world, because of that the turtle species became an animal that was protected by the community and other countries, including the country of Timor – Leste itself, because in Timor – Leste the turtle species was almost extinct. In 2008 – 2009 the government of Timor-Leste in collaboration with the International Organization CTSP (Coral Triangle Support Partnership), local authorities and municipalities authorities began to conduct an in-depth investigation to identify several areas as protected areas in Lautem district, which are categorized as protected areas that called the Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKSNP).
Initially from there, the government of Timor-Leste began to establish a conservation group to control the area to be protected. The goal is to form a conservation group to control the biodiversity at sea and on land, especially species that are about to die such as turtles and other species.
The results of research conducted by Radio Rakambia Journalist. In relation to the volunteer activities of conservation groups that protect turtle species, many complaints, worries and sorrows were conveyed by the group, however, they urgently need to work together with Timor-Leste government institutions, as well as AgAgencies national and International regarding the management system for which there is no solution.
The research was carried out in 3 locations, namely the village of Com, Lorehe 1 and Muapitine. The purpose of this research is to find out more about the problems of the turtle management system, what are the reasons they kill turtles and how the conservation process is carried out by volunteer groups. This research was conducted on (29 Sep – 01 Oct 2022).
This research activity, Radio Rakambia journalist, involved directly with the turtle conservation group from the village of Com, releasing the baby turtle about two hundred (200), one hundred and fifty (150) hatching eggs, one hundred and thirty five (135) ) that managed to return to their original habitat and 15 that died due to lack of food supply, such as chicken eggs, the breeding grounds for the hatchlings were narrow and the hatchlings were not allowed to live in dirty water, but needed to live in clean water. also every hour the water needs to be changed, it happens during the process.
The media research started with a Conservation group membership from the village of Com. There are fifty-three people (53) who protect baby turtle and eggs from six (6) hamlets. From the beginning, they together with CTSP carried out research activities in biodiversity protected areas. In 2013 CTSP handed over the conservation group to Conservation International (CI), currently the conservation group is still under the supervision of CI. And CI itself organizes a conservation group to protect turtle eggs and mark potential sites for species that are prohibited by the government of Timor – Leste.
According to research observations conducted by Journalist of Radio Rakambia in four (4) locations, namely, Com village, Lorehe 1, Muapitine and also at Lautem market, it is true that turtle meat and eggs species are not visible in these places, which are usually sold and consumed. The people of the three villages were honest that they had killed and consumed the meat and eggs in the previous year.
Biodiversity and Fisheries Conservation Group From Com.
Observations made by researchers, the coastal area of Com is very potential for tourism. But now there is no solution that is felt by the community and the conservation group. But what is felt are challenges and limitations. Therefore, the conservation group from Com, suggested to the government of Timor-Leste and Agencies to come and collaborate together.
However, the Women’s Conservation Group from Com, is concerned about the challenges of operating turtle eggs at night. Even though there are obstacles, they still have a shared spirit, to fight for a better future.
Domingas Tilman said, “ I am doing this activity, there are obstacles, when my little child is still sleeping, I leave her at home, leave her to my nephew, please take care of my little sister sleeping at home, because we have to take care of the turtles.
If it’s time for the turtles to come out to lay their eggs, we must also try, come early to wait so that people can’t take them and dogs don’t damage the eggs. We know when the turtles come out to lay their eggs, just by looking at the moon sign like an umbrella, we know that the turtles will come out to lay their eggs, at 20.00 Pm, we come waiting to make observations on the beach until 4 Am. Sometimes we can get two (2) or one (1) turtle. If there is profit in one egg we can get one hundred and forty (140) eggs, one hundred and fifty (150) sometimes it decreases again to ninety (90) sometimes it goes up again to one hundred and fifteen (115) or one hundred thirteen (113) eggs. And we immediately move it from the coast to a temporary place to be safe, in a dry area. Even though it’s been stored in a safe place, but the heart is still pounding, look left and right, afraid that someone will come and take it later. This will cost us a lot, because the turtles only come to lay eggs once, not three or four times.
In the past, people came to steal in the first night to take two places and the second night to take three places at once, I was crying, because working makes us very tired, if the turtle eggs cross there to eat, that’s okay, this is not to eat but to be protected. This turtle protection is for the future of the children, not for us who are old.
The natives from Com themselves, don’t know what kind of baby turtles are, they only know that large turtles that come to lay eggs are killed, that’s what they know. I told them, if we protect, the child is like this.
Even though there are many obstacles, we still try our best to protect the turtles as much as possible. So that the government also recognizes that in this place, there is a lot of turtle conservation. And we have great hope to protect the good, so that we can attract the attention of others to come and visit. In other countries can, why can’t we.”
Women’s Conservation Group from Com Requests Fencing Help to Protect Turtles.
Domingas asked, “ We have a plan to improve the place better if someone comes to take photos they have to pay. I beg, the Timor-Leste government and national and international agencies who want to provide assistance, please help us with materials for conservation fences, if the fences are already in place, turtles can lay eggs comfortably, we don’t need to take and move places again, just let it be there we just monitor it. We beg, to our friends, not to bring any objects, including bitter wood roots, into the places we have protected. We are from the conservation group want to let the small mites to big ones take them.
Actually this work is for men, but we see that they are walking alone and we women are just at home. It’s better to come and help them, if there is something new lesson,we want to learn too, don’t let this opportunity only be for men.”
Conservation women’s groups get training opportunities on how to manage turtle eggs.
“We got this conservation training from Jose Monteiro and Alkaterio Abril’s. They trained us on how to move turtle eggs to a temporary place, by using a measuring device to determine the length of the turtle egg hole from bottom to top, so that later we move to a new place, it must be the same size as the original. The standard size of the hole that we found was two meters (2 m), if we didn’t measure the hole, the original result from the new hole that we prepared was less than 2 meters, the dog could take it out.
The process of breaking a turtle egg takes two (2) months. If the egg breaks, we have to control it as much as possible, day and night because there is a sign of a smell, afraid that the dog will damage it. Then this place of moving, is not the original place, because of that, some are dead, some are rotten and some are alive. We only counted the eggs there, sometimes up to two hundred sixty (260). But if you test there are only one hundred and forty (140) or one hundred and fifty (150).
After transferring the hatching turtle eggs, take sea water to wash the live young, then offer again to a new and clean place and count how many egg shells are broken, and how many are rotten to report to Mr. Jose Monteiro and Alcaterio Abril.” Domingas said
The priority activities carried out by the conservation group from NKSNP COM, are turtles, dugongs and sea grass. Sea grass is a beneficial food for turtles and dugongs.
The head of the turtle conservation volunteer group, from the village of Com, Raul Pereira Mendes stated, “ Our main activity is the process of breeding turtle eggs and the next plan is Dugong and Sea grass. We have also marked the Dugong Conservation in yellow, from the coast to the depths of the sea, that we have conservation to protect potential areas of the species and also limit people from fishing and snails in these places.
It’s not that people can’t enter there, but we forbid not throwing and pulling fish nets there, because we are conserving Seaweed for turtle and dugong food. This activity was carried out in three locations, Com, Tutuala and Lorehe 1.
First activities, we conducted socialization from many aspects with the community, from there we began to manage and work with local, municipal, national, CI and CTSP authorities to identify protected areas that were mutually agreed upon. Not only the agency and the government itself, but with the approval of all the people. And we see that the community is starting to have their own awareness, that’s why, in 2013 we did the inauguration.
In 2015 we started turtle conservation. After that, another dugong that was identified from CI appeared. The purpose of this conservation is to protect species from the sea such as dugons, turtles, corals and crocodiles. we do this activity only voluntarily.
We used to kill turtles to take their eggs and eat their meat, when the turtles came out to lay eggs, but we finally realized, after CTSP, CI and technical staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Plantations, they shared information that all over the country the turtles had disappeared and only their skins remained. and just the picture. So we realized, yes, right now we eat turtle meat but in the future it will be destroyed, our descendants will not know which turtle, and they will only know the picture, if the behavior like what we do is still continuing. That’s why we are aware that we want to be volunteers, to protect turtle eggs. I am very grateful for the information that has awakened and broadened our horizons.”
The head of the turtle conservation volunteer group, from the village of Com, suggested to the Timor-Leste government and Agency to pass a law that protects conservation groups and also puts people in the right position.
“The problem we face, people steal we protect, this is very dangerous, sometimes we go guarding people think we are to kill them, people also peek on us. If we go to sea other people also go, other people go to fetch, we go to guard, this is a big challenge for us now. We want everyone to feel safe. We need global laws to protect us. We need to enact laws from the base, not from above, if it doesn’t match from above, it can be difficult. The law from the basis will take from 2 aspects, cultural and church aspects, it can accumulate into a fisheries law.
The challenge is that we take turtle eggs at night and have to move to a temporary conservation area, therefore I propose to build a fence for the turtles to lay their eggs, if possible one kilo two hundred meters (200 m). This is one of the big obstacles, we snatch each other with dogs, actually the place where they lay their eggs is very original, it’s better. so we don’t have to move, let him live original in people hat place. The reason for moving here is because are stealing and destroying. The place we see today we moved from the coast for protection, people are not allowed in.
I suggest to Agenc0y and the government of Timor-Leste, don’t mix things, such as fishery conservation areas, they should be involved in fisheries and don’t interfere with agriculture anymore. Those from conservation have to put in a bigger investment. Because we look at the investment aspect, what will come is only tourism and conservation. The role of the Conservation is for the conservation of preservation after the arrival of tourists, this is what I think, if you can give a hand for us to collaborate together.” Stated Raul
Aquaculture and fisheries conservation group from Lorehe 1.
Luzino Pinto Teseira and his friends from Lorehe 1 Village, used to eat turtle meat and eggs. Because in his mind that turtles are easy to catch and kill. Turtle eggs are also delicious to eat. He learned to eat turtle meat and eggs since childhood in Portuguese times from his father.
“I used to catch turtles myself every night when I came out of the sea to lay eggs. At that time, there was no information about turtle protection. We often look for turtles to kill and take eggs to make vegetables.
We humans need meat, this species is easy to catch and easily take the meat. At night we carried flashlights for a walk on the coast, got footprints looking for traces until we got it, hit it back and then took it down to the house to kill.
Turtle meat tastes good compared to other fish meat, we can fry, make soup, and grill it is also good and easy eggs can be fried with lime and chilli sauce.
I’ve been eating turtle meat since I was little. My father started looking for turtles from the Portuguese era. At that time we lived far from the coast, we moved to this coast, in 1990. In that year many people killed turtles, but after NKSNP socialization When entered this village, we began to realize and understand that there is a law that has prohibited it. It is not only the government of Timor-Leste that prohibits it, but there are international laws as well. And the turtle as one of the species of the population that will begin to disappear.
I compared the turtle population in 1990 – 2000, it was a lot but now it’s gone because of that, I also want to protect and conserve, the aim is to keep it there for the next generation and another goal is to attract the attention of tourists coming to visit.
When I was young, I used to play with baby turtles and swim together while hitting the sea so they could move, at that time there were about one hundred (100) baby turtles. newly hatched from their eggs on the beach. I took and put in my t-shirt and carried it off into the sea, at that time I was 29 years old.” Said Luzino
The people of Lorehe 1, are willing to work with the government to ban biodiversity, both from the sea and land. And they have a deep awareness that they want to protect and conserve the coastal areas of NKSNP, on the other hand, the fisheries coordinator asks for a training program to increase their knowledge.
The head of the Conservation and Fisheries group from Lorehe 1, Acasio Ramos said. “Our group protects species from the sea and land, such as mangrove wood, seaweed, coral, turtles and other marine species. We prohibit Mangroves for the purpose of protecting the community, if the tides rise to keep it from being too big, as well as Coral and seaweed we prohibit to protect fish that can eat and lay eggs in it.
We can train this conservation knowledge from the national fisheries staff, and pass it on to other communities. So far, we have seen that people in general have realized that they should not take and destroy again what we have protected. we compare before and now it’s starting to be lacking. People used to destroy and burn forests carelessly everywhere.
However, we still need training to add broader knowledge, in the field of fisheries and conservation. Our country is a new country that needs to pay attention to the preservation of diversity. We need to protect the natural resources that exist so they don’t burn. If we don’t care and protect some species will be lost, in the future our descendants will only be able to recognize the images left behind. They won’t know what turtles and other species really are, for that reason I wanted to join this conservation team.
If we protect this copper, tomorrow the day after tomorrow will attract the attention of the tourists who will visit our country. If we don’t protect the tourists, it’s the same. Because what wants to attract people’s attention is the richness of diversity itself, it seems the species of sea and land.”
Julia Fernandes, a member of the Vida Moris and Conservation group, said, “In 1991 – 2010 we lived here, there were still many turtles, one night we could get 2 or 3 tails, bring them home to make vegetables, but now they are not there is. We also can’t find footprints anymore.
I like to eat because I wake up in the morning, I feel good, because of it at night people like to look for it. I’ve been consum since I was little. I’m a native here, I know the consumption of turtle meat started from my father and grandmother.
But now it has been banned, we are also afraid to hunt, now we only eat fish and crabs brought by the children. The law already prohibits not destroying paternal diversity, so let’s just follow it. Besides, there are still a lot of vegetables that we can consume, we understand because the law already prohibits having to obey them. because the turtle population has started to disappear. Other people also don’t dare to take them. I heard from the top management that if we take turtles, we have to pay and go back to prison, so the community here is also afraid not to take them anymore.”
Rita da Costa, a member of the rompong group from Lorehe 1, said. “ I am a member of the new rompong group, which has just been established in September, the activities have not started yet, because we have not lowered the rompong equipment into the sea. I have never been in the sea because the sea is big, but the children who go to the sea, if they get turtles to bring them home, make delicious vegetable tukir (RW) and dry some of the meat, eggs they boil and eat, they are not sold. What they sell is fish, it’s only $5, $3 only. My children have been eating turtle meat since they were 12 years old.”
Two hamlet heads from Muapitini and Pehefitu are pessimistic with the government forbidding sea and land which do not provide solutions and benefits to people’s lives. However, the killing and consumption of turtles in the muapitine village began to decrease.
According to the head of Muapitine hamlet, Mauricio that, “The government protects the Muapitine area from sea to land. we talk about the sea, about turtles everything is banned because it is categorized as a NKSNP area, which is protected under the auspices of the national government. Anyone who takes turtles from the sea, if they see it, will be penalized and imprisoned. Like horses, deer and cuscus, including turtles, people should not kill carelessly. therefore the community is having a hard time making money because everything is protected and forbidden.
The community wants to plant crops in the garden, but there is no tractor, this is a challenge and difficult for people who are farmers. Until their children drop out of school because there is no money to pay for continuing school.
In the past in Muapitini village, there were several communities that killed turtles for consumption and sold three to four tails (3 – 4) selling their skin and dry meat sometimes up to one (1) sack, and also selling cuscus. It’s been a year I haven’t seen people selling, there used to be a lot, after forest guards made parole in places that the government protected, they started to no longer exist, for fear of the law. Now the children only sell catfish, water spinach, vegetables, cakes, grilled chicken satay, this is what I see now.
In Muapitini there is only one staff protecting the forest, it is difficult to control in places that the government has marked as protected areas. if he is active in the village of Mehara and Mount Paicau, other people pass here, go down to the sea he does not see.
I don’t know for sure and don’t count how many people killed turtles in one day, but in my view, Muapitine doesn’t exist anymore. But from Lautem in the Pairara, Rasa, Maulo and Lospalos sections, at night they come by motorbike, they bring fishing rods saying fishing rods but, sometimes they look for turtles, this is what they have. And sometimes they say look for KUS KUS but they take the opportunity to look for turtles.”
In the other part, the head of the village of Pehefitu, Martinus Gracia. said “We, the people in Muapitine Village, are victims, because some of our land has been handed over to the government, to be protected, including animals, soil fertility, but the government just ignores it. We have submitted it to the government, the government must manage it well.
Our old garden has been taken as PNNKS to become a protected development. Forbid people not to enter carelessly, do not cut old wood, destroy nature and kill animals. Forbidding the public not to sell cuscus, Monkey, turtles, but the government does not provide other solutions.
Therefore, the community kills species such as turtles and cuscus, sells the meat so that, it can help the family’s economic needs and pay for the children’s schooling, as my friend said earlier that some children are neglected and drop out of school because their parents cannot afford it. to send their children to school.”
Protection of the NKSNP area under the auspices of the technical team from CI and professional technical staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries assigned to Lautem.
Marine Field Coordinator, Alcaterio Abril Domingos, from CI (Conservation International) assigned to the Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKSNP) said. “ CTSP started from 2009, conducting research to 7 protected locations, maritime which has stabilized in NKSNP sources that CTSP left to Conservation International (CI) to continue from 2009 until now.
CI has two teams, one team is carrying out conservation to Terestre, to protect resources from the mainland, the other team is to protect the sea. we work for the observation of the protection of the maritime management system, which was established in this NKSNP, to talk about conservation which is interconnected with all sectors such as the tourist sector. we are talking about tourists but not managing this natural wealth well, what will be the basis of development in the tourist sector. If our natural resources are in the sea and land, everything will be damaged.
Therefore, CI together with conservation groups, in 3 villages namely, Com, Tutuala and Lorehe 1 village in the National Park. Together we are still continuing in 2009 until now. The success that we have done together with several conservation groups has not reached the target but some of the activities we have done together are turtle conservation and our own team has carried out socialization about turtle conservation in all villages that have been categorized as NKSNP and also several conflicting villages. Currently there are 7 villages of (Com, Bauro, Muapitine, Lorehe 1, Tutuala, and Mehara village) and additional villages under the auspices of the National Park are lore 2 village, iliomar 1, kainleu, and iliomar 2 village. mention that CI has conducted socialization regarding the protection of turtles.”
What is the purpose of this socialization?
“The purpose of this socialization is how to influence and increase public awareness for conservation of wealth, not only in the sea but on land as well, because in the tourism sector and the fisheries sector as conservation reserves for sustainable economic development in the long term.
If we don’t conserve biodiversity, the day after tomorrow our children and grandchildren will not have the opportunity, they can blame us. That’s why we collaborate with volunteer conservation groups to establish here who are very committed, they also take their own initiative to protect this diversity, especially Pneyu. After conducting socialization in the identified villages, we also gave basic techniques to the representatives of the volunteer conservation groups in order to increase their knowledge of how to work more effectively, how to move turtle eggs.
They got good information after they got the basic technique from CI staff, how to move turtle eggs from the original place to the temporary place prepared by the conservation group.
The reason we move from the original place to a temporary place is because, if we just put it in the original place, there is a big threat to the eggs. Because there are some people who don’t have any understanding, still taking turtle eggs and also animals that are released freely will make them damaged and irritated again, if they almost hatch, they start to smell making it easier for loose animals to inhale and dig into the soil.
We have been doing this activity for a long time, even though we haven’t got the maximum results. But through this strategy they also know that, the purpose of this conservation will be to multiply turtles, and also know that the life of sea turtles is not the same as us humans, they come on land to lay eggs after that they return to the sea, just leave the eggs on the coast, so we humans who must protect the hatching eggs and release them into the sea because they will return to land when they want to lay eggs.” Alcaterio Said.
According to the Marine Field Coordinator, Alcaterio Abril Domingos, from CI said that, in Timor – Leste, there are seven (7) different kinds of turtles and there are also immigrant turtles living in the Timor Sea. And he strengthen, They can be detected from high-altitude satellites
Alcaterio stated. “According to several references we got from experts that, if the turtles will return to land to lay their eggs about twenty (20) years and then lay eggs and couple again, this will also give us a negative impact, if we continue to kill and destroy them. And the turtles that come to lay their eggs in this area come from this area itself, because turtles from other countries don’t lay their eggs here.
If we destroy we have no more. Therefore, we can detect that the turtle that came to lay eggs is our turtle from this village. Because all the turtles in the sea do not belong to Timor – Leste only, but there are emigrants from other countries who come to look for food here, later when they lay eggs they will return to their original area. From there, the turtles that we detected were seven (7) kinds, different species which we detected using the high-altitude satellite that we installed in the villages of Com, Jaco and Lore 1 villages.
the socialization that we do from different species, namely the Kikit turtle, greentete and oil fredlin, there are good results, they already have awareness, not all communities but there are one or two peoples if get turtles to lay eggs they tell the conservation group, come and take to temporary shelter. Observations for marine biodiversity are very important, because this is related to tourists, if we don’t monitor diversity in the sea and land, we talk about tourists, it’s the same thing, what development is there. CI facilitated training for conservation groups in Lautem and also brought several members of the conservation group to do a comparative study in Papua, to increase their capacity and insight, so that they can identify sea and seaweed, and how they can develop their knowledge, what has been learned can be re-implemented in their own village, in order to protect the richness of biodiversity, more specifically turtles.”
According to the observations of the technical staff from Lautem, the conservation group from Com village is diligent in controlling the coast so that the community from Com village reduces turtle killings.
” Instead, in the village of Muapitine. But similarly, the technical staff from CI is planning, trying to find a solution together with conservation groups to control the killing of turtles in Muapitine village as possible.
Added Alcaterio, “ In the village of Com, the killing of turtles has decreased, if we compare the past and now, because there are conservation groups that carry out regular observations and patrols on the coast, so they do not give other people a chance to take and kill.
We are technical staff in Lautem district, monitored all villages under the auspices of NKSNP, which were threatened with killing the turtle, namely Muapitini village. The monitoring that we do on the beach, using tetelmonitoring, gets a lot of turtle shells, some are hiding in rock holes, some are hiding in tree leaves, and some are fertilizing on the beach.
This Muapitini village is my own village, this village where people kill a lot of turtles there, but that doesn’t mean the people from my village killed them, because I didn’t witness it with my eyes and there is evidence to show that the people from that village killed the turtle.
We don’t know who actually killed it. Because the beach is also free to access, other people from neighboring villages can come by car and motorbike, people from urban areas also go there, we can say that this threat is not only from the Muapitine community but from neighboring villages as well. And they often say that we don’t kill turtles, parrots and cuscus but what we kill is the flesh, based on those words, they keep killing.
Last week, I spoke to a conservation group that now we are more focused on protecting turtles and their eggs so people can’t take them, and also trying to find the skins that people hide, in a week or a month how many turtles are killed so we know the data. . Even more so in places that are highly threatened, such as Lorehe 1 and Muapitine include it selves, so I can’t provide actual data yet. We only have live data that we’ve been conserving and protecting over the years. It seems that in 2018 CI was active with this conservation group in Com, and had already protected ninety-six (96) turtle cages. At the end of 2021 the conservation group has protected and released to their original place there are about one thousand and twenty-four (1024) this does not include the dead and not hatching.
But based on the questions asked by the Radio Rakambia Journalist, I’m thinking about future plans to set up another collaborative conservation group and technical staff from a village close to the coast, in order to look for hidden turtle shells and people who take turtles are also hiding. we don’t know how many are consuming turtles. As before, they were free to sell in the market, from there we know that, this family killed it and we can analyze how many people consume it.
But when our government carried out socialization together with development networking such as CI and UNDP – ATSEA made people aware, that’s where they started to be afraid, if they killed maybe secretly, for fear of the punishment of Decision No. V or VI/2004 talks about protected species with Ministerial Decree No.18/2017 which talks about protecting saltwater species. The law also states that the punishment for the sentence will be compensation of five hundred thousand US dollars ($500,000) and imprisonment for two (2) or three (3) years.
Not only this consequence alone but the consequences will be even greater, if it kills. and also local leaders from villages in NKSPN protected areas are thinking of reinstating village regulations, to reduce destructive human behavior.” Alcaterio Said.
CI technical staff in the field Worried about facilities and human resources
“There are several challenges that we face, such as, the National Park area is wider, but comes with limited human resources, we only have six (6) field staff, three (3) focal points from the village, three (3) staff from CI and there are no adequate facilities, so this is one of the barriers to activities relevant to turtle conservation.
For example, we are conserving and protecting turtles in Com, but we have to go to Tutuala for conservation again there, so people in Com will continue to destroy because we have limited field staff. And one more obstacle, is equipment that we need to use for monitoring, such as flashlights0, those who work on their own, from CI have not provided. But they have motivation, find a way out to buy their own. That’s a sign that there are one or two peoples who already have awareness, and positive thinking, there is a will to protect natural resources, more so turtles. Another obstacle is transportation for sea and land.
The challenge, which was conveyed by the conservation group from Com, is true in the conservation field. When we talk about turtle conservation, there is a danger, because other people come to take it, we come to protect it. Another obstacle they face is moving the turtle eggs to a temporary place, for fear of free animals coming to destroy it’s. it’s also one of the biggest barriers to turtle eggs. This anxiety is not just this time, but since the beginning until now. I also made a list of how to solve this problem. So that broken eggs don’t happen again, which we have protected in this area.” Alcaterio said
Jose Monteiro as a professional technical staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries assigned to Lorehe 1 village when the researchers asked him to express the situation and processes that occurred in the NNKSNP area according to his observations.
“The National Park activity declared in 2008 that we are working for the conservation of specifically protected maritime areas such as creating protected areas that currently exist in national parks, there are seven (7). In 2004 we collaborated with experts from America, Indonesia, Australian universities such as Charles University and other private organizations, to identify protected areas.
This protected area was built for twelve years (12) , there is no benefit for the community on the grounds that there is no material to be distributed to the community. to be used on copper that we have protected, because the material must come from abroad.
The government has declared a national park, until now the government has not had a plan that is adequate and supports the fishing communities in the territory of Timor-Leste, especially the national park, they don’t have any plans such as boats, marine motors, engines and fishing nets so they haven’t done anything what.
All this time they are sad that, the government needs, we have protected it but there is no alternative that the resources we protect for how many years can be used. I explained to them as engineering and ordinary staff in the ministry of agriculture. Training information for them that we can’t buy this material because the budged amount available is not enough and we don’t have the capacity to get it, like it or not, it has to depend on the government, this is what doesn’t exist yet, so in the future the government needs to pay attention to the community who live in the coastal areas or in the mountainous parts of this national park, how can identify any needs so, that they can use this resource to sustain their life in the national park.
Jose Monteiro advised the government that it should make a plan to open up opportunities to every international visitor.
Jose Monteiro continued. “How can the government make plans and open up opportunities. So, that visitors from abroad and nationally can visit the national park. We propose a protected area, can benefit from selling rice packets, traditional accessories to maintain people’s lives, because for fourteen years, the community has been a victim of this national park, everyone in the world knows that this national park, the government of Timor-Leste, forbids it. making shifting fields, not killing marine or terrestrial species that can be protected, not destroying forests, all the people have obeyed, no longer do this and feel that these goods belong to them, but the government has no alternative and solution to this problem , that turtles must be protected, it is forbidden to kill because they will give big profits, when visitors from abroad visit here, but the politicians only come and promise here from 2007 to 2012. The community here feels sad because they are victims for the national park , so they had to destroy, and kill for consumption, sometimes sold for money in order to maintain family life.
Therefore, the technical team from CI and we, the field engineering staff from the government assigned to the national park, have not yet reached 100%, from 2018 – 2022. Now I guarantee that the community living in this national park, with a total of eighteen thousand (18,000 ) there is already a sense of belonging to be the owner who will protect espesis from the sea and land. we are still trying to ask for support from the central government with agencies that have budgetary capacity, can support us to provide solutions in this national park.
People in this national park as we can see, they have no jobs. They are the only owners of fields and the sea. this is a big problem for them, the government as mother and father to them and representatives of the people in the National parliament must make good plans, can support them. Bring in techniques from national experts who are experienced in ecolagy teaching the community how to plant good and right plants, so that these vegetables can thrive, can be sold to the market. Another problem is that we don’t have any fishery techniques that come from the minister of fisheries to teach fishing communities with techniques. for fishing, how to operate a boat at sea.
With this comment, I want to deepen that the south coast is a sea with great conditions unlike other seas, therefore it is a big threat for those who have no experience in fishing. So, I propose to the government to bring in experienced fishing techniques to provide training to fishermen in the southern seas. how can we plan to absorb more on the basis of implementation in national parks, so that they can bring some of these experiences to sustain their daily life, especially fishing life, we must provide boats, marine motors, and fishing nets as well as facilitate them through training by using source of the sea.”
The socialization law for national parks adopts the international convention law Art.19. national parks are included in Art. V about the sea and land, especially for species in the sea and land.
Said , Jose Monteiro. “There is an international convention law No.14 Art.19 that is used by forestry, uses it to implement, I don’t know the forestry law, but when in the process of socializing national parks they use international convention law, this goes into Art. V sea and land into one package. For animals that are in the sea or land, so they put this point into category V.
So they use the international declaration process until now, but the government has implemented the protection of the land as well as the sea and until now, the government has not provided a good situation solution for the eighteen thousand (18,000) abitat community in this national park.
The management system of almost all seas and lands is scorched. From the 2018 – 2020 international declaration, the government has never discussed and debated the budget in the national parliament, that we transfer the budget to the national park. So, that the people in the national park, community elites, local elites, party elites and the maximum elite who fill these districts can , implemented to create a good national park management system, so that residents could benefit, but it has not been implemented until now.
I, as a technician from the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, would like to convey my comments to the center, the National Parliament and the minister’s consultant can put an annual budget, so that we can agree so that the local people can make something that is profitable for them.
I followed up to the Minister Turismu Comercio Indutria (MTCI) (minister of tourism) if you could go down to the area, to facilitate and provide training to small communities at national and international levels, about tourism, how to prepare healthy food and a comfortable place for visitors. , so that there is knowledge of how to get income from visitors.
And Management related to the coast in Timor Leste, recently we haven’t reached 20% because the MTCI minister is the owner for this activity, for 22 years, the tourism minister has no program on the base, Timor – Leste is there 11 districts which are located on the coast, but activity in eleven (11) districts has not reached 20%. Because they have never been to this area to raise awareness, show a program on community tourism, therefore in the three coastal areas there has been no activity, there are several groups doing it but just carelessly, it doesn’t fit the criteria.”
ATSEA Project 2 provided Rompong materials for fishing groups from Lorehe 1.
“The current material we can get from the national ATSEA Dili and ATSEA project 2 which provides assistance through UNDP, with budget assistance for management with a total of ($22,813.50) to the residents of Lorehe 1 with the aim of living a decent life or increasing the family’s economic income. We haven’t lowered the material into the sea because of the high sea waves and rain, if we put it down it will be dangerous for the people. The beneficiary of this rompong is a total of sixty people (60), 20 of womens, and 40 of whom are men. The function of this rompong is a place to catch fish.” Jose Monteiro says
The conservation group from Com, has big dreams for sustainable development in the coastal areas of NKSNP Lautem, in the stress and sea sections. However, they have also released about one thousand four hundred and seventy (1,470) hatchlings of turtles to their place of origin.
According to the secretary of the conservation group from Com Village, they are planning in the future to also protect Espesis on the mainland. but one of the obstacles for them is human resources and funds.
The secretary of conservation group of Com, Lukas Monteiro, stated. “Here, I would like to add two important points, first about future conservation plans, secondly, stay vizioner and make friends in the conservation group aware, how we, who are not so smart, try to contribute our ideas to the development of a biodiversity resource management system.
By 2021 our group had released four hundred and seventy (470) turtles into the sea. In 2022, we haverelease about one thousand (1,000) young turtles into the sea. If we all have the will in 2023, support each other to carry out this more developed activity, then according to our plan, in 2023 we must release one day, two thousand (2,000) sea turtles into the sea.
In the future, after the Turtle Protection, we will focus again on protecting the espesis on this land which is also very important. We will identify at night, species of birds that are no longer there or are missing. Because, we have realized that, not only species in the sea that are almost extinct but also many species on land that no longer exist, such as the cockatoo, pigeon, and parrot, once very much in this place, it turns out that they are also a species. animals that are in the NKSNP area, but all of them are lost because of our behavior, and the community also has no awareness to protect biodiversity. One day we also contribute to the ecosystem. After that, we will transference to become a tourist center, think how can will invest income generation to the community.
And another obstacle is human resources and funds, because all investments require funds for development if we are serious. The fund depends on our activity plan, whether it is two (2) years or three years (3 years), in the future it must be achieved. Plans must be clear in which governments and agencies trust and finance our activities.
Regarding our turtles, there are many challenges, first in the middle of the cold night, we have to wait in the wild places, where the turtles lay their eggs. There are four (4) places on the coast, women are waiting and Control, however, they have the passion and motivation to contribute, according to the joint diplomat’s decree from the ministry. 12/2015. That, this development will run if we, the local community, actively participate directly, to contribute.
But in other parts of the Municipal and National Authorities and Agency, don’t turn a blind eye, that our efforts and contributions don’t volunteer for a year. At least you have to be close to this conservation volunteer group, it’s hard what we feel in the field. If you want this income to increase and this group to grow, for that we need a lot of resources to invest.
I suggest that the government, part of the conservation authority at the national and municipality levels, should seriously implement at the ministerial line to support long-established groups that contribute to this development, because we say that communities in rural areas must participate. But now, that the community has participation, we still keep a close eye, this is not a balance.” Monteiro ended
This reporting activity went well and smoothly because Journalists of Radio Rakambia collaborated and received funding from ATSEA 2 PROJECT and the Association of Indonesian Journalists (AJI).
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