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By Mirza Sharz, 05/02/2010 1:41 pm

A dozen Asian nations and Russia vowed Friday to work to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, crack down on poaching that has devastated the big cats and prohibit the building of roads and bridges that could harm their habitats.

However, the historic declaration adopted by the 13 countries that have wild tigers includes no new money to finance the conservation efforts.

The agreement only includes plans to approach international institutions like the World Bank for money and to develop schemes to tap money from ecotourism, carbon financing and infrastructure projects to pay for tiger programs.

“This is a historic meeting. Before this, not many people paid attention to tigers,” Thailand’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti said after the three-day meeting in Hua Hin. “Stopping the depletion of tigers is a very important issue for all of us.”

The declaration will now be considered for approval by heads of state of the 13 countries in September at a meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

Tiger numbers in recent decades have plummeted because of human encroachment – with the loss of more than nine-tenths of their habitat – and poaching to supply a vibrant trade in tiger parts. From an estimated 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of tigers today is less than 3,500.

Along with a target for doubling tiger populations, countries agreed to protect core tiger habitats as well as buffer zones and corridors that connect key sanctuaries and national parks.

Governments also committed to reduce poaching through beefed-up law enforcement and to minimize human-tiger conflicts through job creation programs and other efforts.

The only setback, delegates said, was a successful effort by China to take out language in the draft declaration that called for maintaining a permanent ban on the tiger trade.

China’s concern is the impact the language would have on its domestic tiger trade, which has been banned since 1993 but which they have lobbied to reopen at some point.

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By Mirza Sharz, 05/02/2010 1:35 pm

More villages in Bali will participate in promoting the development of community-based ecotourism by joining the Village Ecotourism Network (JED), which has so far only reached one villages.

The JED, along with Bali-based environmental NGO Wisnu Foundation, is set to establish an association of ecotourism villages this month to assist more villages in developing their natural tourism potential.

“The association will also act as a certification body to verify whether a village has met the accepted standards of ecotourism,” they said.

JED manager Gede Astana said Thursday that the association, the Bali Ecology Tourism Villages, would provide technical assistance and capacity-building facilities for the new participating villages.

They said JED welcomes more villages that have a similar attitude toecotourism to join in the association.

Currently, JED manages one villages: Kiadan Pelaga in Badung regency, Nusa Ceningan in Klungkung regency, and Tenganan Pegringsingan and Dukuh Sibetan in Karangasem regency.

“It is their own initiative to create their natural potentials. They will give them technical assistance, such as training villagers to be tour guides,” Suarnatha said.

Wisnu Foundation director Made Suarnatha said 20 villages had expressed an interest in joining the network and developing their areas as ecotourism destinations.

The 20 villages include Purbayu in Karangasem; Les, Sudaji, Pemuteran and Sumber Klampok in Singaraja; Kaliaka and Perancak in Negara; and Braban, Sekartaji and Angkah in Tabanan.

“Each village already has their own interesting aspects that they can promote to tourists, but they require to build their capacity to meet the standards,” Suarnatha said.

They said developing community-based ecotourism was essential to providing more benefits to local people as the tourism sector in Bali had been dominated by private sector and sizable businesses.

They added the JED team had surveyed some villages to check their level of preparation.

“Developing community-based ecotourism also means giving equality of rights in tourism sector, where the community – the two who take care of the environment – get the greatest benefits.”

They said the potential of ecotourism in plenty of villages in the resort island had yet to be well exposed due to the lack of support from the government.

The network has been established in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Latin The united states.

Established in 2002, the JED has built networks in some countries to promote ecotourism in Bali.

With environmentally friendly tourism has gaining significant responses worldwide, demand for ecotourism in Bali has risen.

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By Mirza Sharz, 01/02/2010 4:31 am

The following is the list of existing accommodation facilities in the Sumur, Tamanjaya, Handeuleum Island and Peucang Island.

The list is arranged alphabetically and does not indicate any ranking or qualification.

Sumur

Rhino Hostel

* Address: Jl. Raya National Park Ujungkulon Kec. Sumur, Kab. Pandeglang (near the intersection in the direction to Tamanjaya)
* Facilities: 5 economic rooms each with triple bed, fan, bathroom / toilet inside.
* 2 other rooms in the building of Bali and Lombok style with bathroom / WC outside
* Room rates: start from Rp. 75,000
* Contact Person: Rahmat Hidayat
* Phone: (0253) 803736, HP +6281382632067

Villa AGM / Sarang Badak

* Address: Jl. Raya National Park Ujungkulon Sumur, Kab. Pandeglang (200 m from the intersection toward Tamanjaya)
* Email: edipital@hotmail.com
* Facilities: 12 rooms each economy with a double bed, fan, bathroom & toilet inside and outside
* Room rates: start from Rp. 50,000 – Rp. 100,000
* Contact Person: Edi Bachtiar
* HP +628131399165205

Tamanjaya

1. Homestay Sunda Jaya

* Address: Jl. RT dock. 01.01 Kp. Calingcing, Tamanjaya Village, Kec. Sumur, Kab. Pandeglang
* Facilities: 4 rooms with twin beds economy, fan, bathroom & toilet outside the room (2 pieces), dining room together & hangout place on the veranda.
* Room rates: Rp. 50,000 / night (including tea / coffee )
* For booking please contact Komarudin (Mr. Komar) by telephone to the number +6281806181209

2. Prima Villa Tamanjaya

* Address: Kp. Calingcing, Tamanjaya Village, Kec. Sumur, Kab. Pandeglang
* Facilities:
* Villa A (House stage) has a dormitory with 10 beds, fan, bathroom & toilet outside the room, common dining room & a gathering place on the porch.
* The rental villa: from Rp. 150.000 / night (bargain)
* Villa B (permanent buildings) provides:

* 1 dormitory with 7 single beds, fan, bathroom & toilet outside in
* Room rates: Rp. 350.000 / night (bargain)
* 1 standard room with double bed, air conditioning, bathroom & toilet outside in
* Room rates: Rp. 250,000 / night (bargain)
* 2 standard rooms with 2 single beds, air conditioning, bathroom & toilet outside in
* Room rates: Rp. 250,000 / night (bargain)
* Room rates is excluding food and villa’s staff can help to buy rice and other food to provide meals with affordable wages.
* Other facilities:
* Villa is also equipped with dining room, family room, living room, porch, gazebo and parking lot in a very large yard right in front of  the beach of Tamanjaya.

* For Prima Villa booking you can directly contact Minggu by telephone to the number +6281932755642

Remarks:
If the two accommodation facilities at Tamanjaya have been full, you can stay at the people’s home. Please contact Mr. Warca Dinata (chairman of Kagum Ujungkulon) for further assistance.

Guesthouse Handeuleum

* Location: Handeuleum Island, TN. Ujungkulon
* Email: julianto_uknp@yahoo.com
* Facilities: 6 economy rooms each with double bed, fan, bathroom & toilet inside and outside.
* Room rates: Rp. 175,000
* Contact Person: Julianto
* HP +62818746223

Pulau Peucang

Bivouac of  the Park’s Rangers

* Location: Peucang Island, TN. Ujungkulon
* Email: julianto_uknp@yahoo.com
* Facilities: 3 economic dormitory rooms for 10 persons with bathroom & toilet outside
* Room rates: Rp. 50,000 / person
* Contact Person: Julianto
* HP +62818746223

Guesthouse Fauna

* Location: Peucang Island, TN. Ujungkulon
* Email: julianto_uknp@yahoo.com
* Facilities: 6 economy rooms each with triple bed, fan, bathroom & toilet outside
* 1 bedroom 1 Rhino with double bed & 1 single beds, fan, bathroom & toilet in the
* Room rates: Rp. 250,000 +
* Rhino Room rates: Rp. 400,000
* Contact Person: Julianto
* HP +62818746223

Flora Guesthouse

* Location: Peucang Island, TN. Ujungkulon
* Email: ujungkulon@mail.com
* Flora A: 6 rooms each with double beds, air conditioning, family room, bathroom & toilet inside.
* Flora B : 10 rooms each with double beds, air conditioning, family room, bathroom & toilet inside.
* Room rates Flora A: Rp. 776,250 *
* Room rates Flora B: Rp. 603,750 *
* Contact Person: Mr. Entus / Mrs. Maya
* Cellphone +6281911061714
* Note: The air-con is only available when the room occupancy  at least 2 rooms

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By Mirza Sharz, 26/01/2010 5:43 am

Who said there was no encroachment on the Ujungkulon National Park?

In fact some time ago the police had caught 5 people suspected of illegal logging in the region as Honje mountain.

For even more detail about this surprising news, please read this following report published in the Antara News.

Pandeglang (ANTARA News) – Five illegal loggers were nabbed in the Ujung Kulon`s Gunung Honje forest in Pandeglang district, Banten Province, on Sunday night by a joint state police, Ujung Kulon National Park forest rangers and civil security team.

The national park management`s spokesman Agus Priambudi, said here on Monday the five illegal loggers identified by their initials as Akm, Asm, Ddn, Ant, and Arm were nabbed while felling trees in the Gunung Honje forest at 11 pm on Sunday night.

He said the joint security team also seized two truckloads of logs which had been cut by the illegal loggers.

“The five nabbed illegal loggers are still being investigated by Ujung Kulon National Park investigators and the police,” Agus Priambudi said, adding the Gunung Honje forest was part of the park which was being preserved as as the habitat of the Java Rhinoceros and some of the world`s lungs.

Ujung Kulon which is rich in wildlife and forests, noted for its charm and diversity, is the home of the highly endangered Java Rhinoceros and bestowed with the status of World Heritage (natural) site.

It posses an exceptional profile of Indonesia`s wilderness from forested mountain ranges to coral seas.

What makes it even more remarkable is that the park remains a pristine haven of nature on Java, one of the most densely populated islands on earth.

The 120,551-hectare park is divided into 78,214 ha of land and 44,337 ha of surrounding reefs and sea.

It can roughly be separated into three areas, the triangular shaped Ujung Kulon Peninsula, the Gunung Honje Range to the east of the Peninsula`s Isthmus and the Island of Panaitan to the north west.

Ujung Kulon`s tropical maritime climate, somewhat cooler than inland areas of Java, produces an annual rainfall of approximately 3250 mm.

The park holds well over 700 species of plant life of which at least 57 of them are classified as rare in Java Island and perhaps the world.

Ujung Kulon National Park has a vast array wildlife, quite a member of which are endangered or rare. Some of animals are so unafraid that freely wander in and around the tourist lodges, others are sighted almost every days, many are heard rather than seen and same core rarely seen. (*)