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PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Services PLTU Suge Belitung Unit is committed to supporting the preservation of Tarsius Belitung by carrying out biodiversity protection activities. Tarsius Belitung (Cephalopachus bancanus saltator) is an endemic fauna on Belitung Island which is also included in the IUCN Redlist with the Vulnerable (VU) category. In 2022, the Company will implement a superior program in the field of Biodiversity Protection, namely the Modification of Observation Methods for the Belitung Tarsius (Cephalopachus Bancanus Saltator) Endemic Animal using a Night Vision Camera.
Initial Problems
In the conservation activities of the Belitung Tarsius in the Belitung Regency Biodiversity Park area and the Peramun Hill Community Forest, in addition to observing and monitoring the development of the conditions of the Belitung Tarsius in the conservation area, the Tarsier Watching tourism program is also being developed which allows visitors to observe the Belitung Tarsius up close. Prior to the orogram, Tarsius Belitung observation activities at night still used a flashlight as a source of light. The light of this flashlight really disturbs the survival of Tarsier Belitung because of its sensitivity to light.
The Origin of the Idea of Change or Innovation
The development of the Tarsius Belitung Conservation innovation program in the form of replacing the use of flashlights with Night Vision Cameras comes from the company itself where the idea for this program arose due to observation activities using flashlights which could disrupt the survival of Tarsier Belitung so that conservation efforts could not run optimally. In line with public awareness and the Company’s concern for the importance of preserving the Belitung Tarsius to avoid the threat of extinction, an innovation was made to Modify the Observation Method for the Endemic Animals of the Belitung Tarsius (Cephalopachus Bancanus Saltator) by Using a Night Vision Camera in the Tarsier Watching activity for visitors.
Changes made from the Old System
The innovation program for Observation Method Modification of Belitung Tarsius Endemic Animals (Cephalopachus Bancanus Saltator) Using Night Vision Cameras is held through the provision of facilities and infrastructure in the form of Night Vision Cameras and training for the community. This innovation was implemented for the first time in Indonesia in the PLTU sector or according to the 2019-2022 Best Practice from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, it has never been implemented in the PLTU sector.
System Change from the Innovation Program
The Modification Program for Observing the Belitung Tarsius (Cephalopachus Bancanus Saltator) Endemic Animal Using a Night Vision Camera has an impact on changing the Sub System: Functional Sales with the following explanation.
Observation activities of Tarsier Belitung by visitors from the Tarsier Watching program which were carried out at night using flashlights had an impact on the survival of Tarsius Belitung which is sensitive to light.
The use of a Night Vision Camera greatly facilitates the monitoring and observation of Tarsius Belitung in the Tarsier Watching program because observations can be made from a close distance without disturbing Tarsius Belitung so that it can reduce the stress and mortality levels of Tarsius Belitung.
This innovation program is also used as an education center, where “Tarsier Watching” tours are expected to be a means of disseminating information, eco-friendly educational tours and building public awareness to participate in preserving the Belitung Tarsius which is one of the endemic animals on Belitung Island.
Environmental Impact of the Innovation Program
The resulting environmental impact is an increase in the population of Tarsier Belitung in 2023 by 62 individuals with a total community income from the Tarsier Watching eduwisata program in 2022 reaching IDR 619,850,000 with a total visit of 12,397 people.