Tufi’s environmental threat
By JULIE MOTA KUMIN
LOCATED northeast of Port Moresby, the capital of PNG, Tufi in Oro province boasts one of the worlds’ most culturally diverse language groups in the world.
The area attests to having the biggest fjords as well where much of its natural environment remains uniquely unexplored, unidentified and unrecorded.
In the early 1980’s an American linguist Dr Cynthia Farr working as a Bible translator with the Summer Institute of Linguists based in Tufi and her husband Jim attempted to record, identify and translate the local names of the birds and fish species of the area in the local Korafe dialect.
Their research resulted in the publication of two books titled Korage Rika Da Buku and Korage Oka Da Buku both published in 1984 by the American Bible Society with 1000 each copies printed.
Each of the books contained illustrations, brief description of the physical appearance of the animals, as well as their language and English name and footnotes of Korafe translation lifestyle connections between the animal and Korafe society as well as other useful notes on the animal.
Other than these two books there have been very little scientific publications on the Tufi area’s natural environment and its cultural and natural biodiversity.
Consequently the Farr’s contribution through these two books highlight the immense potential that exists for environmental research and publication in Papua New Guinea.
In retrospect, the Tufi natural environment has been dramatically affected in the last thirty years since the Farrs arrival in the 1970’s.
Much of this has been attributed to population growth in the area with inter-marriage migration trends coupled with massive cultivation land use.
The fragile marine eco systems too have been under pressure by growing sea transportation, fishing and sea leisure activities that pollute the sea fronts.
Moreover, unplanned tourism activities into natural habitats endanger some unique ecosystems as well. These are not noted nor monitored and their effects are not even considered by local villagers or authorities.
Awareness programs into natural environment conservation issues are unheard of matters in the area whilst, environmental research is an unfamiliar concept to villagers.
Much of Tufi’s natural beauty is slowly being exploited by the growing tourism industry yet much needed environmental conservation plan and awareness continue to elude the people of Tufi.
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