Prof Hefni Effendi Bridges PHE ONWJ and BKSDA Jakarta Collaboration in Hawksbill Turtle Conservation Efforts

At the end of July, Pertamina Hulu Energi, Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) signed a cooperation agreement with the Jakarta Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA). This collaboration was realised through a pioneering effort by IPB University Professor Prof Hefni Effendi and a team of young researchers from IPB University’s Environmental Research Centre (PPLH).

In this collaboration, efforts will be made to conserve hawksbill turtles that land their eggs in the Ramsar Site of Rambut Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Kepulauan Seribu Administrative Regency, DKI Jakarta.

During this time, the hawksbill turtle eggs sometimes fail to hatch, because they are eaten by monitor lizards that inhabit this conservation area. It is even said that some people take them. Although the island is uninhabited, there are people who enter to take the hawksbill turtle eggs, when they escape the supervision of the rangers.

Rambut Island is one of the conservation areas under the management of the Jakarta BKSDA, including the Ramsar Site of Rambut Island Wildlife Reserve, Bokor Island Nature Reserve and Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve. These conservation areas are breeding grounds for wild plants and animals that are closely guarded.

Based on Prof Hefni’s observations, one of the main problems in these conservation areas is the invasion of garbage that lands on the beach. It is considered very disturbing to the growth of mangrove saplings.

“IPB University has become a strategic partner of PHE ONWJ in designing and running environmental management programmes around their work area offshore northern Java,” he said.

On the occasion of the signing of the collaboration agreement (PKS), the General Manager of PHE ONWJ, Achmad Agus Miftakhurrohman said that it was very interested in preserving biodiversity around the location of oil and gas exploration and exploitation business activities.

“This has become a corporate commitment, and has even become a value system that is instilled in all workers in carrying out their activities,” said the man who is familiarly called Pak Aa.

He also appreciated the IPB University team led by Prof Hefni Effendi who has long helped formulate and execute environmental management efforts along the PHE ONWJ working area in the waters of the northern Java sea.

This was also agreed by Agus Sucahyo as Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Manager of PHE ONWJ. Proof of commitment from consistent and continuous efforts in protecting the environment is manifested in PHE ONWJ’s participation in Proper with the achievement obtained in the form of a green rating in 2023.

Furthermore, Agus Arianto, Chairman of Jakarta BKSDA, welcomed this collaboration. He hopes that it will not only be for hawksbill turtles, but also for other plants and wildlife that grow and develop in conservation areas. He revealed that currently PHE ONWJ has also done a lot of mangrove planting not only on Rambut Island, but also on other islands in the Thousand Islands group. (HEF/Rz) (IAAS/RUM)