Indonesia names its eighth Wetland of International Importance

Indonesia has designated Menipo Nature Recreational Park as its newest Wetland of International Importance. This “Ramsar Site” (Site no. 2543 on the “Ramsar List”), established in 2010 as a National Recreation Park, is located in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. Its coastal wetlands include mangroves and intertidal mud, sand and salt flats. 

The Site includes Menipo Island, which is separated from the island of Timor by a narrow strait and features freshwater lakes and marshes. Menipo Island provides habitat for vulnerable and endangered plant species, and during the peak dry season, the permanent marshes on the Island provide a refuge for wildlife. 

The Site’s sand flats provide nesting habitat for three threatened turtle species, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Migratory birds use the mud flats as a stepping-stone habitat, and the Site provides foraging grounds for the yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea parvula) and the Javan deer (Rusa timorensis). 

Local communities believe that the area must not be destroyed; the Island is considered sacred and hosts a traditional ceremony. They collect crab and shellfish to support livelihoods and gain income by renting boats to tourists and researchers.