Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni stated that forest protection efforts and forestry law enforcement are critical links in improving the governance of forestry development.
“There can be no good forest governance without law enforcement,” said Raja Juli Antoni in his speech during the ceremony commemorating the 58th Anniversary of the Forestry Police (Polhut), held on December 24, 2024, at Lautan Pasir, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The 58th Anniversary of Polhut fell on December 21. The event was attended by more than 900 participants and carried the theme “Bhakti Wirawana – Wana Wibawa,” which translates to “Forestry Police’s Dedication to Upholding the Dignity of Indonesia’s Forests Through Strengthening Unity.”
The Minister emphasized the increasing importance and strategic role of the Forestry Police in the future. He urged all members of the Polhut Corps and foresters in general to continue fostering collaborative work and synergy across all elements of the forestry development system. “Move forward hand in hand with communities living around forest areas as the main actors in development,” said Minister Raja Juli Antoni.
The Forestry Police, as the front line in the effort to protect and secure forest areas in Indonesia, has significantly contributed to safeguarding and preserving Indonesia’s vast forest areas, which span more than 125.9 million hectares. Polhut has tackled various threats and disturbances to forest integrity.
Crimes against forest natural resources, such as illegal logging, unauthorized mining (PETI), forest encroachment, and the hunting and trading of protected plants and wildlife (TSL), are grave offenses with tangible impacts on ecological, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions, including potential losses to state revenue.
The scale of forestry crimes remains evident in the reports of cases handled by Polhut officers and forestry investigators. Since 2015, 2,171 operations targeting illegal logging, protected wildlife trade, and forest encroachment have been conducted. Of these, 1,462 case files were declared complete (P-21).
These figures highlight the challenges in formulating more effective forest protection and forestry crime control measures. Forest area security encompasses not only physical monitoring but also the integration of preemptive, preventive, and repressive strategies.
