DILI, 14 june 2022 (TATOLI) – The Secretary of State for the Environment (SoSE), Demétrio do Amaral de Carvalho called on communities to stop the activities of removing and collecting coral reefs from the beaches to be used for commercial purposes.
Carvalho also called on the communities to stop buying dead coral reefs sold in the coastal areas, particularly in the areas of Bidau Manu-Matan and Pantai Kelepa, in Dili, to help prevent coastal erosion from happening in the country.
“There are two ways to stop communities from trading the dead coral reefs in the coastal areas. First, we need to work on raising the awareness of the communities to stop buying such dead coral reefs sold by some communities in the coastal areas of Pantai Kelapa and Bidau Manu-Matan. Second, we need to enforce law and regulation to those communities who engage in such illegal practice,” Carvalho told TATOLI, at his office, in Bebora, in Dili, on momday.
“If you keep buying those reefs, it would motivate the communities to keep removing those dead reefs and destroying our coastal zones.”
He said such illegal practice may cause coastal erosion in the future: “Those are the dead reefs, But, if they continue doing such bad practice for a long period, then there will be no more reefs to protect the coastal zones in those areas.”
“If they keep taking those reefs, of course, we will use marine law enforcement to criminalize their actions to protect our coastal zones,” Carvalho emphasized.
According to the Article 215(a) of the Timor-Leste Penal Code on crimes against the environment, any person who fails to comply with legal or regulatory provisions intended to protect the environment, directly or indirectly causes or is responsible for emissions, dumping, radiation, mining or excavations, grounding, noise, vibrations, injections or deposits in the atmosphere, soil, subsoil or river, sea or underground waters, including in transnational zones, or at water intake points, in such a manner that may seriously harm the equilibrium of natural ecosystems, is punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine.
Carvalho said therefore the two practical steps are crucial to ensure that vulnerable coastlines and beach fronts are managed and used sustainably.
Previously, the National Director of Biodiversity, Rui dos Reis Pires said that the continuous activities of removing coral reefs would have a great impact on Timor-Leste’s coral reef ecosystems.
He said human impacts are resulting in the destruction and degradation of coral reefs ecosystems to cause a loss in biodiversity and supply fundamental food for fish and other marine species: “If the destruction continues to be on a large scale, then there will be a significant reduction in the number of fishes in our water.”
The Government of Timor-Leste, through SoSE, allocated more than US$ 200.000 to the National Directorate of Biodiversity for the conservation and protection of Timor-Leste’s biodiversity, including coral reefs, in 2022.
According to article 6(f) of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the State shall protect the environment and preserve natural resources.
As defined in article 6 of Timor-Leste’s Biodiversity Decree-Law 2012, the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible for the formulation and revision of the strategies, plans, policies, and programs that support the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and the sustainable use of biological resources.
SoSE serves as the national focal point for the Convention on Biological Diversity, it also coordinates the development, monitoring, and revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and any implementing national programs on biodiversity conservation, and oversees their implementation, in coordination with stakeholders.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
