Elephant conservation in Aceh

I didn’t know, but Aceh has been working on elephant conservation and eco tourism as a way of preserving its environment, sustaining its people and keeping alive the flora and fauna unique to Sumatra. The elephant had been adopted as a symbol for Aceh. I am hoping , in the midst of the chaos and trauma in Indonesia, these plans to keep Aceh as a special place for the development of eco tourism can be part of our ongoing co operation with Indonesia. We have already establish the links:

Sumatran Elephant Conservation supported by Adelaide Zoo

"The Sumatran Elephant is classified as endangered by the IUCN Red Data List. One of the greatest concerns for elephant conservationists is elephant/human conflict. Elephants periodically raid farming areas to feed on high protein crops such as corn and as a result, much resentment is created amongst farming communities. Adelaide Zoo together with Taronga Zoo participated in a workshop hosted by Taman Safari Indonesia in 2000 to discuss issues associated with the conservation of the Sumatran Elephant and the proposal to set up a Sumatran Elephant Conservation Fund, in conjunction with all interested stakeholders a . Financial support for the workshop was also made available by Melbourne Zoo and Auckland Zoo. Progress towards setting up such a conservation fund continues with a more regional approach. Adelaide Zoo maintains links with workshop participants and supports the continued progress towards in-situ conservation programs associated with the Sumatran Elephant.
At the request of Fauna and Flora International, Melbourne Zoo has agreed to support a range of small projects for Sumatran Elephants. These projects mainly involve elephants in, or displaced from, the troubled province of Aceh. About AU$18,000 will be made available for workshops, for equipment, facilities and supplies for elephant managers. This money has been raised through the sale paintings by Melbourne Zoo's two elephants, Bong Su and Mek Kapah. The first installment has been paid to part fund the Workshop on Captive Sumatran Elephant Management held in Palembang, South Sumatra, on June 3 and 4, 2002."
http://www.arazpa.org.au/SAG_SEAsian.htm

Nature based case studies

Centre for Elephant Conservation


"Biodiversity Information.SECP supports Sumatra`s Elephant Conservation Centres (ECCs), which were originally developed as sanctuaries and training Centres (ETCs) for `problem` elephants involved in human-elephant conflicts.”

Sumatran Elephant Conservation Programme

“In preparation for the Leuser Development Program, the preparatory Integrated Conservation and Develop Project (ICDP) prepared a "Tourism Master Plan for the Leuser Ecosystem". This report stated:
As one of the world's few remaining large wilderness areas containing contiguous pristine rainforest, the Leuser Ecosystem is in an excellent position to attract its share of visitors. It has a unique fauna, with many large and charismatic species, such as tigers, rhinos, elephants, orang-utans and hornbills. It harbours an unsurpassed flora, with a wide variety of trees, lianas and epiphytes, amongst which hundreds of exotic orchid species, as well as the world's largest flower, Rafflesia. It has spectacular scenery, wild rocky rivers in the mountains, and also mild meandering rivers bordered by tall primary forests in the lowlands, and extensive unspoilt beaches (ICDP, 1995b: 26).
The Leuser Ecosystem offers enormous potential for the development of sustainable ecotourism that will support economic development without compromising the ecological integrity and biodiversity values of the region (ICDP, 1995b: 24).
However, clearly there is a tension between recreational and developmental needs on the one hand, and ecological integrity on the other. The problem is: how can tourism be developed in a way that generated revenue while also protecting the ecological integrity of the Leuser Ecosystem? This problem generates an inherent conflict of interest for those managing the LE. As Cochrane notes:
Ecotourism should minimise negative impacts on the Leuser Ecosystem. The goal of limiting environmental effects, however, conflicts with the goal of maximising revenue from tourism… Small-scale ecotourism may sound good as a theoretical contribution to conservation but because of its low economic impacts its positive contribution is too small to be significant. A balance has to be found somehow which allows for significant levels of income to be generated while limiting tourism- related disturbance to the forest (Cochrane, 1998: 16)."

Nature Based Tourism