Magnificence and importance of Sepik River
By DENNIS BADI
 THE Sepik River Catchment offers a diverse range of experiences with nature and local communities. It is among the largest wetland and most intact freshwater areas in the Asia Pacific.
Communities here have realized the value of biodiversity conservation in disadvantaged communities where basic government services and means of income generation are limited.
However, the Sepik River is increasingly under threat due to human activities and potential resource developments from forestry and mining projects.
If the operations of these projects are not managed sustainably then the infringing threats can lead to communities losing their biological and cultural richness that has been an integral part of the Sepik River people.
Global conservation organization, WWF and National Department of Environment & Conservation (DEC) are working with local communities in the river basin to minimize these threats through a partnership program - the Sepik River Network Plan.
The recently held 2nd Sepik Crocodile Festival on August 11-12 in Ambunti is part of this initiative.
This year’s theme “Lukatim Bus na Wara Bilong Yumi” calls to recognize and promote the conservation of habitats and encourage sustainable use of natural resources in Sepik.
In his opening address, Ambunti Drekikir MP Tony Aimo described the festival as more than a cultural and tourism exhibition, “it is a forum to raise awareness amongst the local indigenous communities on the issues of sustainable management and other social issues that our societies face today.”
Mr Aimo presented K20, 000 to the show committee.
The two day festival was marked with colourful dances by 21 singsing troupes.
There were sacred mask dances, drama performance, games, sales of artifacts, educational video shows, booth displays, and flute and bamboo trumpet sounds entertaining a captivating audience of tourists and visitors to Ambunti.
There were also prizes for the best essay and drawing competition presented to the best three elementary, primary and high school students.
The festival started off with the Ambunti’s version of Sepik Iron Man called the “Trupla Pukpuk” where teams had to run in relay and swim across the mighty Sepik River.
There were also canoe racing for men and women competitors.
While only in its 2nd year it surprised everyone with the intensity of the competitions and support gathered by the Ambunti community that flocked to the local jetty and water’s edge to support their local teams.
Guests and tourists to Ambunti also participated in the ancient cultures performed at the festival and explored beautiful wilderness area that package tourism does not allow. Many were privilege to go on an expedition with Alphonse Mava, SWMI Coordinator and Ambunti’s crocodile hunter aka ‘Crocodile Dundee’.
Mr Mava once killed a crocodile with his bare hands. He thrilled tourists with his stories and whistle to attract crocodiles for the kill. A remnant of the crocodile skull he snared in 1980 is displayed at Ambunti lodge.
The expedition on two dinghies led by Mr Mava and SWMI committee members took the team to a crocodile nesting area 40 minutes from Ambunti. They showed the visitors the crocodile nests 20 meters into the swamp and how eggs are carefully removed. According to local belief only a principle landowner who owns the nesting place removes the eggs, and not all the eggs are removed, two eggs are left to hatch.
Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative work closely with DEC and WWF to carry out awareness on preservation of wetland habitats including the ban on setting fires in the crocodile nesting habitats.
With Global Environment Funds from United Nations Development Program, SWMI constructed signboards on specific sites along the Sepik River.
According to David Wilken, Mainland Holding General Manager, “Each egg is bought for K10.50, and for 50 eggs that’s K525.00. We pay cash directly to the local people at Ambunti and have contributed largely towards their children’s school fees and other daily essentials.”
Greg Lacoste from French Tannery, a company that buys crocodile skins from Mainland Holdings to make crocodile leather products was also at the festival.
Both David and Greg were satisfied to participate in the festival and observe the monitoring activities of SWMI and its partners.
“The quality of crocodile skins and eggs will depend a lot on how well areas are managed because there are very little management regimes for wild crocodiles in the world like here in the Sepik.” said Mr Lacoste.
“DEC considers the crocodile monitoring program as a significant industry for the wetland communities as there are no other means of contributing to the daily subsistence due to their land being inundated with water and unsuitable for agriculture.” said Robert Sine, DEC Crocodile Monitoring Officer, who also attended the festival.
The Sepik wetlands have two crocodile species, the New Guinea Freshwater (Crocodylus novaeguineae) and Saltwater (C. porosus) crocodiles, both listed in Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild flora and Fauna (CITES).
CITES listings means both species are vulnerable to extinction, and require monitoring and management regimes for their harvest and trade from the wild. If there is no monitoring and sustainable management of these species, they will be categorized as Appendix I, where trade is restricted.
The government needs to ensure that wetland communities’ benefit from their resources through a consistent and long term monitoring program without any sanctions being placed by CITES.
Robert Sine has confirmed that aerial surveys conducted by DEC in the last three years (2004-06) have shown an improvement in the habitat rehabilitation. He claimed that nest counts indicated increases for both crocodile species.
Ambunti, the main government station for Upper Sepik Villages with its surrounding areas hold some of the most diverse and least described eco systems.
The slopes of the Upper Sepik Mountains contain more marsupial species than found anywhere on earth.
The Sepik is the largest wild crocodile skin producing area in the world and habitat to the second largest known butterfly - the Goliath bird wing butterfly.
Near Ambunti is the Hunstein Range Wildlife Management Area established by Bahinemo people to preserve its heritage and wild flora and fauna. The region remarkably supports wide range of forest types, important lake systems and some of the finest wetlands and bird habitats in the country. Within these forests is the “Hunstein’s secret” orchid and eaglewood, the most sought after wood in the world due to its resin.
There are two ways to get to Ambunti. By air through Missionary Aviation Fellowship plane which operates from Wewak to Ambunti on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The 45 minutes flight costs K250 one way. Alternatively, one can jump on a Public Motor Vehicle to travel to Pagwi from Wewak. PMV fare is K50. At Pagwi it’s a K25 boat ride up to Ambunti. For accommodation at Ambunti you can contact Alois Mateos who is the operator of Sepik Adventure Tours on Phone/Fax 856 1516. He owns Ambunti lodge which charges K200 a night...
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