25 Oct
2006 - Musula and Wabimisen, Papua New Guinea
– Local communities in Papua New Guinea gathered
along the volcanic slopes of Mount Bosavi in the
country’s Southern Highlands to celebrate the
creation of three new protected areas.
The new wildlife management
areas, covering 80,000ha of PNG’s Kikori River
Basin, are home to pristine rainforests and such
rich wildlife as the world’s longest lizard and
giant pigeons and butterflies. It is also the
region where eight new orchid species were recently
discovered by WWF.
“Today’s announcement is an
important milestone in strengthening the system
of protected areas in PNG and gives a boost to
the efforts of WWF and its partners in achieving
big conservation results in the Kikori region,”
said WWF PNG protected areas officer Saina Jeffrey.
“The declaration signifies a
commitment by local landowners to conserve and
safeguard their land, and to protect it against
destructive development such as unsustainable
logging.”
The three new protected areas
at Sulamesi (70,159ha), Hose (4,830ha) and Arisai
(4,661ha) were established on the customary lands
of the Kosua and Orogo people in order to help
safeguard the forests and its unique biodiversity,
as well as to provide sustainable income activities
for those that depend on the natural resources.
“Today we recognise the Bosavi
people’s efforts in protecting their land and
heritage, including the source of the Kikori River,
for future generations,” said WWF PNG’s Country
Programme Manager, Michael Avosa.
END NOTES:
• New Guinea — the world’s second
largest island that is split between Papua New
Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Papua and
West Irian Jaya — has the largest remaining rainforest
in the Asia-Pacific region.
• WWF has been working in PNG
since 1995, focusing its conservation efforts
on linking community action, science and effective
policy to ensure the protection and sustainable
use of forests, freshwater and marine resources
across the island of New Guinea.
• In 1993, with the PNG National
Executive Council’s approval, WWF Kikori River
Programme established a model Integrated Conservation
and Development Project in a tropical rainforest
of 2.3 million hectares in the Southern Highlands
and Gulf Provinces of Papua New Guinea.
Lydia Kaia, Communications Officer
WWF Papua New Guinea
