The Natural Fortress that Protects the Taroi Coast

KOMPAS/HENDRICUS ARGA

The mangrove forest on the coast protects Taroi Village, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, from abrasion, Sunday (18/4/2021).

Taroi Village in Teluk Bintuni regency, West Papua, has been moved almost five times due to coastal erosion. Learning from this bitter experience, residents decided to plant mangroves to protect the coastal area. The mangrove trees have gradually formed a natural fortress to protect Taroi village from the ocean waves.

Taroi is a coastal village in Tomu district, Teluk Bintuni regency, that is located in the west of the city center of Teluk Bintuni. The village, which is currently being proposed as a district, is inhabited by 114 fishing families who live in houses on stilts.

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To reach Taroi, you can only go by sea because there is no road access. As a result, almost all residents who are also fishermen also have wooden boats. If you try to use Google Maps to find the location, you will surely be unable to find it.

Along the voyage from the river to the sea, rows of mangroves on the river border and on the coast are a common sight.

The trip to Taroi from Teluk Bintuni Harbor on Sunday (18/4/2021) took about 3 hours on a long wooden boat with an outboard motor. Bintuni Harbor is on the bank of a river that empties into Bintuni bay. Along the voyage from the river to the sea, rows of mangroves on the river border and on the coast are a common sight.

The mangrove line on the Taroi coast is the result of the hard work of the local residents over the last 15 years. Unlike most of the mangrove forest of Bintuni bay, which is included in the nature reserve area and has been around for a long time, the Taroi coast was classified as “barren” at least until 2006.

KOMPAS/HARRY SUSILO

The atmosphere of Taroi Village, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, Sunday (18/4/2021).

“We had a beach without any trees [mangroves], none at all. So the trees that you saw there were planted," said the secretary of Taroi village, Rajab Solowat. The residents planted the mangrove trees to combat the erosion that threatened their village’s existence.

According to the stories of older generations, before Rajab’s, the inhabitants have moved at least five times due to the onslaught of ocean waters, which pushed the coastline continuously back. Rajab himself as a child experienced one such move.

He did not really remember the year, but he was sure his family had moved the house some 500 meters from the coastline. "With the existence of these mangroves, the land area can increase because the roots of the mangrove trees can hold mud that will increase the soil," said Rajab.

The father of nine children then showed one of the houses, about 100 meters from the end of the pier.

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The family in the house had previously been preparing to move. However, since the mangrove trees have lined the coast of Taroi, the sea no longer erodes the soil on which the pillars of the stilt houses stand.

The mangrove trees have rescued Taroi's history and its people. Now, the mangrove forest protects the coasts to the west and east of the pier as well, each with a length of 2.5 kilometers.

KOMPAS/HARRY SUSILO

Residents are pounding sago in Taroi Village, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, Sunday (18/4/2021).

In order to make nurseries and planting more organized and sustainable, the people involved as mangrove seed farmers formed five farming groups. Overall, some 70 residents, dominated by mothers, have become members of these groups. A total of 10,000 to 25,000 seedlings are planted on the Taroi coast every year.

Protected food sources

In addition to ensuring that Taroi Village is able to withstand erosion, the mangrove trees also help maintain the residents' food sources. A sago forest can be grown close to the sea so that residents do not have to worry about meeting their basic food needs.

Mangrove litter in the process of decomposition is richer in protein and serves as a source of food for various organisms, including shrimp and crabs.

Shrimp and crabs are also getting easier to find. In fact, crab holes began to appear in the trenches in the village after the mangrove population became denser, because mangroves provide habitats for shrimp and crabs. Mangrove litter in the process of decomposition is richer in protein and serves as a source of food for various organisms, including shrimp and crabs.

In addition to the food needs of the people of Taroi, prawns and crabs are easily available as a source of income for a number of families. One of person who harvests these animals is Adenan Solowat, 49. He used to go to sea to catch shrimp. On average, Adenan earns about Rp 2.6 million per month from selling shrimp.

Thanks to the shrimp, he can support his family – his wife and four of their seven children (the others are either working or have their own families).

"I have been a fisherman since my 20s," said Adenan.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Children of fishermen in Feternu Village, Teluk Arguni Atas District, Kaimana Regency, West Papua, Wednesday (16/2/2021).

The mangroves that the villagers have cared for since they were young have become a natural fortress that not only prevents erosion but also helps preserve sago palms and provides an abundance of shrimp and crabs. (JOG/ILO)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)