Badminton Widjojo PSI Rejects Discourse On Cat Island In Small Tidung: Violating Regional Regulations And Threatening Ecosystems

Member of the DKI Jakarta DPRD! Widjojo when educating children about animals in Jakarta. BETWEEN/HO-Personal Documentations

JAKARTA Member of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, calm Widjojo, rejected the discourse of making Tidung Kecil Island the location of Cat Island. According to him, the idea contradicts the provisions in Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 7 of 2024 concerning Spatial and Regional Planning (RTRW).

This refers to Article 70 Paragraph 2 of the Regional Regulation on RTRW, which states that Tidung Kecil Island is included in the waters conservation area of the Thousand Islands with an area of 1,337 hectares. This area also includes Damar Kecil Island, Karang Beras Island, Pari Island, Payung Besar Island, Payung Kecil Island, Tidung Besar Island, and Air Island.

"Obviously it is stated in the DKI Jakarta Regional Regulation Number 7 of 2024, that Tidung Kecil Island is a conservation area, not just a tourist zone," said God in a written statement, Tuesday, June 3.

Furthermore, Article 94 Paragraph 1, Tidung Kecil Island is also categorized as a strategic area from the point of view of the function and carrying capacity of the environment. Therefore, according to him, the plan to make the island a cat-themed tourist location is not in accordance with its designation.

He emphasized that thematic tourism activities, including those that focus on pets such as cats, cannot be run in the marine biota protection area.

"Moreover, this is an uninhabited small island. We cannot equate the cat situation in urban areas with if they are released on islands like Tidung Kecil," he said.

This also highlights that cats are invasive predators that have the potential to damage the balance of the ecosystem. He said cats can prey on various animals such as birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects, to green turtles and protected amphibians.

"They can be a serious threat to conservation efforts," he added.

Not only from the environmental aspect, but he also assessed that the relocation of stray cats to islands did not solve the root of the problem. He revealed that the population of stray cats in Jakarta is currently estimated to reach between 860 thousand and 1.5 million heads.

If 1.5 million cats were moved to the island, it could be the same number would reappear on land. This even has the potential to double the number of stray cat populations," he said.

Furthermore, he also reminded about other ecological impacts, such as the potential for an increase in the mouse population if cats in the city are moved.

Sebagai solusi,mendorong Pemprov DKI Jakarta untuk fokus pada upaya jangka panjang melalui program sterilisasi massal dan vaksinasi rabies secara periodo.

"Jakarta has been free of rabies for 20 years. We must maintain that while controlling the cat population in a sustainable manner," he concluded.