The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK), Khairun University (Unkhair), Ternate, and a mangrove care group have planted 6,900 mangrove seeds over 6.5 hectares on Obi Island, North Maluku under a joint initiative.

The mangrove planting and maintenance, which was carried out by a group of college students and some communities, has yielded results, Dean of FPIK, Dr. M Janib Achmad, explained in Ternate on Wednesday.

“The seedlings planted in the first stage have grown 1 meter,” he said.

According to him, the mangrove rehabilitation and environmental education activities will continue in the third phase next year. So far, the community has planted 2,500 mangrove seeds in Soligi village, South Obi, he informed.

Mangrove seeds have been planted in a 2.8-hectare coastal area as the region is considered to have a high risk of erosion and abrasion, he said.

The mangrove sowing, which took place from October 25-28, 2021, was not the first to be held in Soligi village.

Earlier, in April 2021, the mangrove care group and Unkhair FPIK had planted 4,400 mangrove seeds in the area.

With this second stage of sowing, Achmad added, the total number of mangrove seeds that have been planted has reached 6,900 and they cover an area of 6.5 hectares.

The mangrove care group consists of five sub-groups, each group comprising ten people, he said. The members are students of Soligi village junior high and high school, he informed. Their tasks are to plant seedlings, and take care of and nurture the mangroves periodically, he added.

The students received guidance from Unkhair FPIK college students beforehand to understand how to rehabilitate mangroves, Achmad said.

“This activity raises more awareness on the importance of mangroves,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rusman, the coordinator of the mangrove care group, lauded Unkhair FPIK for the environmental care program.

According to him, FPIK Unkhair has contributed to shaping a better future through group mentoring and the provision of mangrove seedlings.

“We are grateful because our area was chosen to be a place of mangrove rehabilitation. Hopefully, it can continue and have a positive impact both on the ecosystem and the community’s economy,” Rusman said.

Achmad said the mangrove planting activities were supported by a private mining company, Harita Nickel, to help maintain coral reef ecosystems and generate economic growth through proper maintenance of mangroves

Source: Antara News