Press Release | 27 January 2005
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Save Sempu Island Nature Reserve

Sempu Island Nature Reserve

The Nature Reserve Sempu Island, locally known as Pulau Sempu, is rich in biodiversity. In the 877 hectare squares island is inhabited by 85 bird and 15 mammal species. Among those species, 26 species are protected by the Indonesian Wildlife Act and 3 species are threatened: Christmas Frigatebird (Fregeta andrewsi), Javan-Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi), and Javan cochoa (Cochoa azurea).

The waters around Sempu Island are also the habitats of the endangered marine turtles: the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Some locations of Sempu Island are the nesting sites for the ancient sea turtles.

The plan of Malang City Government to move the city prison to the island will threat the survival of the sea turtles and other endangered wildlife inhabiting the island. Infrastructures development and human activities will disrupt the wildlife’s natural life.

ProFauna Indonesia, a non profit organization working for the protection of wildlife and their habitats, firmly refuses Malang Government’s plan to move the city prison to the island. Sempu Island is a Nature Reserve which is according to the 1990 wildlife act concerning the Conservation of the Natural Resources and Ecosystems, a site is decided to be a nature reserve because it has unique fauna, flora, and ecosystem that needs protection and reservation. Any one is prohibited to run any activity causing changes to the nature reserve. The activities that can be carried out in a nature reserve are scientific study and research, education and others which supporting the conservation.

ProFauna believes that Sempu Island must stay as a nature reserve. The local government must abide the national conservation law to protect the island. It is time that the government applies the eco-friendly development, instead of the opposite.