team | CNN Indonesia

Friday August 25, 2023 09:15 IWST

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

Togean Islands in Tojo Una-Una Regency, Central Sulawesi, it is known for offering beautiful beach and sea views, with imposing coral rock formations.

However, this tourist destination, whose full name is Togean Islands National Park or TNKT, was recently the subject of a complaint from a Canadian tourist named Dave Smith.

In fact, in the published story South China morning In a post on Monday (08/21), Dave said the Togean Islands look like heaven, but they feel like hell.

During his stay in the Togen Islands, he complained about the resort’s facilities, residents feeding wild crocodiles, electricity cut off at night, lack of bars and cafes and most corals only he said dead.

So, are the Togean Islands really like what Canadian tourists are complaining about? The Togean Islands National Park was inaugurated in 2004.

This archipelago is known to be rich in coral reefs and various rare and protected marine biota. This archipelago is the largest in Indonesia.

Formed by volcanic activity, the island is covered in lush vegetation and surrounded by coral hill formations. The coral hill formation is a habitat for several marine animals and green turtles.

In the Togean Islands, tourists can enjoy various activities in the waters such as diving, snorkeling and fishing. Apart from this, tourists can also explore the forest by hiking in Malenge Island and visiting Mount Colo in Una-una Island. Visitors can also stop at the Bajo people’s camp in Kabatasan.

As quoted by Mongabaythis national park is the heart of the global coral triangle with an area of ​​365,241 hectares, and is also home to 262 types of coral reefs.

However, according to Travel fishSince the 1990s, many fishermen have been fishing with bombs or cyanide in the Togean area, which has caused a sharp drop in the number of fish and quite massive damage to the coral reefs.

This means that sharks, large fish and turtles are rarely seen. In 2016, data from the Tojo Una-Una Regency Tourism and Culture Office revealed that 25 of 90 dive sites were in poor condition.

The South Sulawesi Community Innovation Association (Immunity) noted on its website Tuesday (07/11) that since 1990, the Togean Islands have been a supplier of live Napoleon fish in global trade. This changes the ecology and social order of the society, especially the Bajau tribe.

Immunity also explained the state of damage to coral reefs which has increased sharply during the current period. Head of the District Maritime and Fisheries Service. Tojo Una-Una, Rahmat Basri, confirmed that the illegal practice of maritime bombardment continues today.

(with/with)